Handle with care
by Carl Marx
Summary: How far will Eric go to get what he wants ? , even if to claim her is to kill her ?. Sookie and Eric retelling with a new spin , No Gran to raise her sookie is left on her own and childlike , Her abilities and beauty draw him in will she survive him?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Ho all, **

**This is my 2****nd**** crack of the whip as far as fan fics go but my first Southern Vamp / True blood story. I'm going to have a crack at 1****st**** person in some chapters as I'm a big fan of Mrs Harris style, but I'm also fond of a more traditional style so I'm going to flit back and forth and I hope people do not mind this, better do the legal stuff I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING I MAKE NO MONEY ITS JUST FOR FUN **

**Right anyway on with the show , please review and tell me if I'm going wrong or Wright at least in know if I should keep updating **

Tyres screeched mercilessly on the road as the Toyota minivan fishtailed wildly round the empty country road; the driver gripped the steering wheel with straining knuckles as she attempted to maintain control of the vehicle , one hand drifted down to the vicious gash in her side as thick viscous ruby red blood seeped out of the deep wound .

Hissing as she was forced to take the wheel again with both hands, she maintained her excessive speed desperate in her attempt to reach the safety of her master and relief from her wounds , silver particles still fizzled and popped in her chest as slowly one by one of the buckshot worked its way out of her bosom and stomach . She had been alive for centuries and could not envision meeting the final death in such a ignominious way , she was meant to pershish by her makers side to be brought down by a worthy foe not a lucky mongrel were , to be left to slink off and die alone in some filthy muddy corner in some backwards part of this accursed state of Louisiana , this she would not accept.

Her vision blurred as she focused hard on the road watching as it was eaten up beneath her, just a little while longer that's all she would need ...but she was so weak so tired, thirst gripped her and the feel of sleep denied haunted her, head lolling back for an instant of sweet rest the rear end of the vehicle swerved and in an instant was top heavy.

The world rolled over and over again slamming her violently round the enclosed space for what seemed like a eternity before it came to rest upside down in a ditch by the side of the narrow dark road, after a few minutes the only sound that broke the silence was the repetitive clacking of the still revolving wheels turning uselessly in the air like a tortoise flipped on its back attempting to still find purchase on solid ground .

Slowly the driver dragged her now even more beaten and bloody form from the now wrecked minivan, inch by agonising inch she cleared the remains, fleeing the very real threat of fire that it now posed, to bleed out was one thing but to burn was something she had feared most , although she would have eaten her tongue before admitting it, to admit fear was one of her makers first cardinal rules DO NOT SHOW FEAR .

Finally reaching the trunk of a near tree she allowed her body to slump and come to rest , was this end? , she now had no way to get to safety, no way to reach help , was this really how it would end for her? . Time had lost all meaning so how long she lay there was unknown, the terrible dawn was fast approaching there was no way she would be able to find shelter , or to burrow to safety even if she could her wounds were not healing the way they should, without blood and the removal of the silver that was still buried deep she would just as well be digging her own grave.

The sound of soft footfalls brought the wounded pitiful misfortunate to attention, but she was hardly in a position to ready her self for battle, had her enemies tracked her? Had she lain here that long? Or was this a new threat that would ultimately lead to her end, gritting her teeth she attempted to raise her head so at least to meet her final death with a look in the eye but she no longer had the strength...it was over .

The next thing she was aware of was a soft hand stroking her cheek, the feeling was oddly comforting despite the situation, slowly and with great gentleness it cupped her chin and raised her head to meet the owner of the appendage , she had been ready for a lot of things but not for what now met her blurred and tired gaze , deep blue and piercingly beautiful eyes met her own they were set in a fair and enchanting face framed with golden locks that shined despite the pitch black of the night , the second sensation that hit was the smell , it cut through all others the oil , the trees, the cold damp ground , it was rich and sweet and fresh like a cool wind over a lake in summer ...sunshine was the closet description the long forgotten sunshine .

She was broken out of her mental fog by the sound of a wind chime light voice '' It's alright I will take care of you ''

Pam gurgled and swallowed the blood in her mouth before mumbling '' Fuck I never thought they would send an angel I thought I would go the other way ''

With that she surrendered to the black and blessed sleep.

Eric Northman had many degrees of fury and rage , they spanned the spectrum from petty inconveniences if occurred over and over again , disrespect from individuals that owed him loyalty , theft of what he considered his property and so on up to what he was feeling now , RAGE was a poultry word for what wracked him now his child was in danger and in pain , he did not know the details but he could feel the fear and distress she had been broadcasting , he knew the general area she was in but that was it, and now the dawn had come , to venture out now would be his final death

Back and forth he stalked like a lion in a far too small a cage , blood dripped from his chin as the symptom of the bleeds left a messy trail down his pale chiselled face , at least that's what he would tell any who dared to ask ..and they were few, but that was not the whole truth , some was indeed the after effect of his refusal to bow to the pull of his kinds daily rest but also some was from the very real fear and emotional pain he was feeling , Pam he ranked as one of his greatest achievements, swift and deadly, cunning and canny beyond comprehension for most, and now she was alone and in need and he was trapped in this accursed office while she fought for her existence .

The meeting with the weres to arrange a price for compensation to be paid for an offence in his area was only meant to be routine affair, after all who would be insane enough to attack his progeny in his own fucking area ? , and if not that, Pam her self was a gifted killer and enforcer ...how could she have been brought low by mangy animals? .

Many hours of daylight still has to pass before he could answer any of these questions and more importantly give aid to his child , sleep pressed harder on him but again he ignored it , in his mind if she met the final death he wanted to be awake to face it with her as he would surely feel it as surely as he would feel his own hand cut off , to surrender to sleep would be to awake to the pain unprepared ...No he would face out the day and any man women or beast who had brought this to pass had better pray to whatever gods the felt were inclined to listen as there would be no MERCY! .


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all, Thanks a lot for the encouraging reviews and those who have added to story alert I was a bit surprised at how many so really thanks for that. **

**On with show **

It had been many many years since Pam had been rendered unconscious or in fact anything close to it , so dealing with the haze and mug she was feeling now was hard for her . She knew she was lying on something soft there was also something equally soft and warm covering her lower body up to her stomach . Cracking her heavy eye lids open as far as she could she looked down to find white bandages covering her cleavage and small strips of square cloth tapped in patches of her belly , she no longer felt the burn of the silver so she knew this had been removed , also the gash in her side from the god damn hairy beasts silver blade had likewise been treated , but who the hell would bandage a Vampire ? . Cool air circulated so she felt she was still outside but under some sort of roof

Banging and scrapping were going on around her but she did not have the strength to move her head to investigate she was helpless .

The banging stopped and the wind no longer felt like it was passing through ,plus it had gotten darker so now she was really confused , where the hell was she ? .Again she attempted to at least view her surroundings but she only caused a slight moan to admit from her mouth .

'' You need to stay still, you might open your wounds again '' There was that voice again Pam vaguley recalled its tone from by the tree .

A hand slipped under Pam's head and gently raised it before lowering it again onto what felt like a plush pillow so her view was no longer of the ceiling . She was in some sort of shed ? , no it almost looked like a porch with wood or some sort of sheet iron blocking strategic places that would normally she assumed be exposed to the outside world ...well that explained the annoying banging at any rate so was the voice responsible for the DIY ?.

'' I know your different from other people so I'm trying to think of everything ...you can't be out in the sun right? '' Pam slowly turned her head to take in her host, it was her Angel again only this time in the light of the overhead lamp and with no dry crusty blood to block her vision she could tell it was a girl or very young women. Her first assessment her being an angel was apt she was very beautiful she had the same shining blond hair hanging in delicate looking ringlets as before but she couldn't confirm her first take on her deep blue sparkling eyes as she was now wearing...Sunglasses'? . Why the hell was she wearing sunglasses? , the rest of the package would any other night be a check list for a fine meal ' lush full red lips gentle curves and full breasts that were concealed under a light cotton sun dress/ night dress type of deal it almost reminded her of the night wear she used to wear in her human life .

Pam licked her lips and attempted to speak again she wanted to ask who the hell this person was or what was this place and how did she get here but in the end she selected one word as being the most important to get across '' Blood '' .

It came out as barley a whisper but the angel (Pam had a lack of a better name at the minute ) seemed to hear her , the angel bit her lip and sort of dithered looking left and right as if she thought true blood was going to appear next to her before rising from her kneeling position and walking towards a door parrell to the bench/ bed type thing she thought she must be lying on . Weak and wary as she was Pam still enjoyed the silhouette of a pretty fine looking rear end her angel had and a ghost of a grin just about made it to her mouth .

Less than a minute later she returned to her view again but this time Pam did not check out her cleavage but the rather large looking carving knife in the angel's hand that glinted in the light, she felt a rise of panic at being helpless and childlike before a now armed unknown person .

Knelling again by her side the angel shimmied forward so she was almost loaming over Pam and she got a good whiff of that pretty amazing smell again, her fangs didn't click down so much as slide into place weak as she was.

'' mmmm...I've never done this before but il do my best ok '' with that she raised the knife and drew a short bloody line on her forearm whimpering a little as it travelled down , her face pinched into a grimace , it was a random thought but Pam felt she delt with that quite well for a human .

Quickly before it started to spill onto the floor the angel thrust her arm forward and sort of pressed and wedged it into Pam's mouth , it trickled down at first as she barely had the strength to suck but once Pam managed to get a good seal she thought her taste buds had exploded . If it was just that she was so hungry or desperate for the blood she wasn't sure but this tasted like nothing she had ever tasted before , a lifetime of vinegar and then given a mouthful of honey that was a good way to describe it she thought . Pam wanted to raise her arms to grip the offered blood and angels arm to her mouth but that was still not an option she just prayed to anyone who would listen that this wasn't taken away from her . Power was returning to her bit by bit as the precious life force was taken in , six or seven heady glorious gulps later and much to her horror and disappointment the arm was removed , Pam almost made a mewling noise at the loss ...she wanted more god damn it!.

''I'm sorry I'm getting a bit dizzy I think that's all I've got to spare '' the angel slumped back a bit to lean against the near post that must have made up the edge of what Pam was now certain was a front porch of some description ,she watched her saviours bosom rise and fall a little more heavy than before as she attempted to clear her head from her blood loss dizzy spell .

Thank you was a word Pam was not used to using she could probably count on her left hand and have fingers left over how many times she had used it in the last decade or so but that's exactly what she whispered in the angels direction as she came forward again to raise the blanket covering her up to her chin, tucking it in lightly . It was like she was putting a child to bed as a pose to a two hundred year old vampire capable of rendering flesh to pulp in seconds .

Again the Angel stroked her hand down Pam's check and again the feeling brought comfort in a strange and unexpected way to the undead creature.

''What's your name? '' The angel asked in the soothing voice Pam was fast becoming a fan of

''Pam '' she rasped , the donated blood was lubricating her throat and healing the damage so she felt a little more up to talking '' I need Eric '' she spoke in again .

''Eric? '' The angel inquired '' is he your friend? , how can i let him know your here? ''

'' Fangtasia ...bar...call him there...He can help me '' the dawn was apon them and staying awake in her current state was not even a possibility she could not fight the dawn as she was

'' I will, I promise I will try and let him know ...I'll take care of you '' There was that phrase again Pam thought other than Eric taking care of her was not something anyone had needed to do for her in a very long time, the angel smiled down at her in a light up the sky kind of way and stroked her hair in a soothing manner and with that Pam was dead for the day.

Sookie stepped back into her house making sure the door did not have any stray rays of sunlight that might have penetrated the blackout blankets she had hung from all the windows she could . stopping In her kitchen she began to bandage her arm wincing a little at the angry looking gash , she could barely believe she had just done that , donated her blood to a sick vampire a vampire who was now her first house guest in a very a long time , strike that her first house guest ever , it seemed so many years since gran had died so many years she had been here all alone she found the presence of somebody else in the house a little comforting even if that presence was now sleeping off an early supper of her blood .

Now to business , how was she going to get hold of this Eric?. She had no phone and the nearest neighbours were many miles away, plus even if she did walk there they did not know she existed so she could hardly ask. Then it accured to her that her houseguest was a pretty sophisticated looking women , well as close to sophisticated as Sookie had probably met and she bet that she would have one of those new telephones that could fit in your pocket . when she removed the women's top ...a small blush spread across her face recalling that , she had found no phone of purse or anything that might tell her how to get hold of this Eric but maybe there might be something in what's left of her car that could help . After running upstairs she quickly slipped off her dress and threw on a heavier brown skirt , warm blue sweater and popped on her old gardening shoes, quickly poking her head round the corner of her front porch to check her guest was still sleeping soundly and in need of no assistance she struck out of her house vie the backdoor that was now until she could use the front door again the only door.

Sookie was glad Pam had given her something to do in contacting her friend otherwise she may have had time to start to panic about what she had done last night and this morning . when she had been walking in the woods and heard the terrible noise made by the crash she did have a mental debate about whether to check on it at all , she was used to avoiding people so it was in her nature to just want to run back to the safety of her home her sanctuary from the outside world that had never had much love for her , but in the end she had to find out if somebody needed help , her gran would have expected she at least try and see if anyone was hurt so she had followed the sound of the noise.

It seemed at first that there was no one to help as Sookie had cast out with her disability probing for any stray thoughts she could find , putting one of the things that had caused her some much grief and pain to use was not something she was used too but it was effective in this case to establish if maybe the noise was nothing , as far as she could tell there was no one out there, she had almost turned back when she caught sight of something in the moonlight..it was a body leaning against a tree and near to the body was what was left of a van or car of some sort . The van/car did not interest her as if she could not hear any thoughts that meant no life , whoever it was had gone beyond her help , her face had fallen sadly at the loss and she had almost turned round to head home and leave this poor soul to be found by someone else in a better position to ensure a proper burial when the body moved ...not much just a few inch's but it defiantly moved ..they were alive?. How could they be alive if she could not hear anything?. Even a sleeping mind made noise for her to hear but this one was blank just a void in space .

Creeping forward , Sookie would be lying if she was more than a little afraid, she thought that in itself was strange , in front of her was what she had always hoped for , a quite mind that did not batter on hers with its thoughts and feelings forcing her to throw up shields to keep her sanity intact , but now she was scared of this person ,she had no clue who or even what they were ...would they hurt her? . She could still run home and just forgets all this , contact with the outside world was dangerous for her she was always regarded as a freak by those few who had encountered her and seldom treated kindly ...but this person was hurt maybe afraid themselves ..Could she really leave them here all alone to maybe die? .

No...No. she would help she had too no one deserved to die all alone in the dark with no comfort at all , she had experienced close to what that felt like and she would not abandon someone to that fate , when she could help . Creeping closer she could now make out more of the person , it was a woman a young one by the look of things and she was in a terrible mess she seemed to have blood leaking out everywhere , her clothes were torn and dirty and barley covered her in some places , gently as she could she reached out and stroked the women's cheek trying to get some sort or reaction . When the women shifted a little she raised her head carefully to get a look at her face

That's when she Sookie knew she just knew in her bones this person was maybe not a person at all she was different ...not different like her but different all the same , this just strengthened her resolve , she had to take care of her and she told the woman exactly that .

It had been no small struggle to get the wounded women back to her house dragging her the entire way was an exhausting task but she had eventually managed it . Once up the front steps to her house she had lifted and shifted her patient to lay on the bench she liked to lay on herself sometimes at night when it was too hot to sleep indoors , it had a soft mattress of cushions that should keep her nice and comfy while she worked to clean and bandage some of the worst of her wounds . She had to carefully tweezer out some of the round metal balls that peppered her stomach and chest and the process made her feel a little ill and it was definitely for the best the woman was till passed out or it would have been a very painful experience for her . Once they were all clean and taken care of a thought occurred to Sookie...was this person a vampire ? . She had a few years ago happened apon an old discarded magazine detailing the outing of the vampires by themselves , they had claimed they wished to live among humans and the magazine had gone into some details of the fact and fiction of their kind as apparently the movies ( none that Sookie had seen herself ) did not have all the facts right . They lived a very long time and were apparently very strong and quick , but they were not able to go out in the day...the day '' Oh dear '' sookie chimed looking round at the exposed porch it was going to be dawn very soon the sky had almost turned a light greyish blue , she didn't want to move her after bandaging all her wounds they might open again and she didn't know if she would have the strength to drag her all the way up the stairs to her bedroom .

'' When you have no choice you have to make do '' that's what gran had always said so Sookie began running round the sides of her house to gather up old sheet wood she sometimes used to seal windows in storms , and when she ran out of wood she gathered pretty much anything else she could find to seal all the spaces that would let light through, soon she had secured things as best she could and had to hope for the best .

Back in the present Sookie had managed to locate the sight of the crash and set about searching round for anything that might help . This was a fairly easy task as the car was on its roof so pretty much everything was laying on the roof that was now the floor of the vehicle . Avoiding shards of glass as best she could she eventually managed to find a bag or large purse ,Sookie could not tell which , slinging it over her shoulder she ventured back to the house to see if there was some means to get help inside .

Emptying the contents on her kitchen table Sookie took a moment to admire the bag , she would bet all the coffee in her house it cost a lot of money( Sookie loved her Coffee ) . It was black soft feeling leather with a gold plate on the front , it had thick black lettering on it '' Gucci '' ..Sookie sounded out the word but thought she may not be saying it right , she had no idea what it meant anyway, back to the task at hand she went through the objects one by one until she found what she thought she was after , it was a small red plastic clam looking thing and when she pressed the button on the side it split in half with a hinge and there were numbers all over the underside with a glass mirror screen . '' So now what am I supposed to do with it? '' Sookie whined frustrated she had no clue what to press to make it work , fumbling over and over again she eventually got the screen to come to life and light up '' OH MY GOD! '' Sookie almost dropped the object like it was hot ...on the once blank screen was now a picture of a very beautiful very NAKED women .

Resisting the urge to close the clam thing again and put it away Sookie began pressing keys once more until what looked like a list of names appeared on the screen replacing ( Thankfully ) the naked lady ..'' Alcide...Alvarez..Andrea..'' one by one she sounded out the names until she got to the one Pam had told her could help ''Eric '' . Sookie could not suppress the grin that spreads across her face she had fought the funny plastic clam and won ! . Now the name was there she just had to figure out how to make it do ...whatever it was it would do , there were two bone looking things at the top of each corner one green one red and even she knew green meant go and red meant stop so she pressed the green bone thingy and was rewarded with a chiming ringing noise , putting the clam to her ear she waited to see what happened next , after three chimes a booming voice came out of it that almost made her drop it again ''PAM '' .


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again, it has just come to me attention that there is ****already**** a story with the name ''Handle with care '' I assure the author (if you are reading this) I did not mean to rip anyone off , I thought it was a good title for my story to describe my slightly fragile Sookie, So I hope I can be forgiven for that.**

**Thanks to all who took the time to review I will attempt to update as often as possible but it's always nice to know people are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it **

**Here we go again **

Eric popped off the lid of his third true blood of the day , he was ensuring the blood he lost from the bleeds was being replenished as quick as he was losing it , he needed to make sure he stayed strong for any fight he may be involved in when the sun finally set and he was able to leave the confines of his club . Throwing his phone back onto his desk he had finished leaving multiple voice mail messages to his subordinates to contact him at first dark to receive instructions for the search for Pam , he had considered contacting some of his supposedly loyal day walkers but he could not bring himself to entrust Pam's safety if she was indeed injured to any human or god forbid were .

Slumping back in his chair he mopped at his ears and nose with a bar rag and began to brood again on the situation he faced, so much so was his musing that he almost missed the first few rings of his phone when it went off, moving with inhuman speed he snatched it up and looked at the call display ''Pam? '' he almost whispered, it was not even mid day yet how could she be awake? .She did not have the age he did to allow her to deny the day slumber like he could .

Hitting the receive button he barked her name into the handset , there was silence for a minute before a quite little voice that was not Pam's answered him ''Hello ? '' it sounded young with a hint of a southern accent you did not often hear these days even in these parts .

Standing abruptly he pushed steel and fire into his tone '' who is this? , where is Pam? . If you have harmed her you will beg for death long before it ever finds you! '' the line went deathly quiet but he could hear the breathing that had picked up a pace at his threat .

''You WILL speak to me NOW '' Eric was losing his cool but he didn't care he may be talking to the person responsible for Pam's current predicament and needed to ensure whoever they were they understood the consequence of harming his child .

'' P...pam told me to call you...sh...She said you would help '' the little voice had gotten even smaller and the stuttering was a sure sign of the fear he had instilled , good fear would ensure they knew he meant what he said .

''Where is Pam now '' there was a pause on the line the person was obviously thinking about the wisdom of giving her location .

''S,,she is in my home ...with me ..She's hurt but I've helped as best I could '' Helped? ,Why would a were call him to tell him they had helped Pam? , Is this a plea for clemency...had they figured out they had ensured they brutal and painful death for harming what was his .

'' Who is this what is your name? '' Eric toned back the anger a little he didn't want to scare the person into doing anything rash.

''Mmmmm I'm not sure I want to tell you ...you sound scary...and mean '' mean...fucking mean who the hell is this person to describe him as mean...was he talking to a child? .

'' You WILL tell me who you are and where you are holding Pam '' there was more silence on the line and for a moment Eric thought she would hang up , he was fairly certain it was a female voice but it was hard to tell with how small and stuttery it sounded .

'' I can tell you were she is, she' in my house ...it's on Hummingbird road the old Stackhouse farm in Bon Temps...it's about a mile up the drive through the woods next to the old grave yard ..S...so are you going to come get her...please? '' .

'' I will be there just after sun down ensures she is kept safe and I will consider letting you live, harm her and ...well that would not be wise...not wise at all '' .

The line went dead in Eric's hand and he was left with a buzzing dial tone , he resisted the urge to crush the frail bit of plastic , he could feel Pam was in her day rest and no longer in pain or feeling any fear , he knew both had slacked off a bit just before the dawn so it may be possible this person was telling the truth and she had provide aid , but she still could very likely be part of what ever had happened to Pam , the thought that somebody would give help to a Vampire in need simply from the goodness of her own heart was laughable to him , humans never did anything without some sort of personnel agenda they were greedy little things barely worthy of any respect , he had encountered few in his thousand years who had left any meaningful mark on him .

Eric didn't need to glance at the clock on the wall he already knew it would be many hours before he was able to leave but at least now he had a destination ...he was going Bon Temps .


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update for all those who care to read it ...Enjoy **

Sookie slumped down onto her couch almost hyperventilating , she was on the verge of a panic attack . Eric sounded absolutely terrifying and he was coming here ...tonight...and she was all alone , well she was always alone but now she was going to be alone with a vampire who would make her beg for death in his words .

She was not sure what you would have to do to a person to make death seem like a good idea but then she thought of some of her own past and swallowed hard , maybe she did have a good idea but dealing with an angry vengeful Vampire was definitely something she had never done before .

What if he just killed her without letting her explain? , would Pam help her or just join in? , It's not like she really knew her, she had only said about ten words to her and that was when she was mostly out of it .

'' What have you gotten yourself into sookie ? '' Talking to herself always made her feel better less lonely but it was also calming her down now '' I could run away ...but where can I go? , and can I just leave Pam all alone? what if something happens to her , he said if she was hurt it would be worse for me ...but it's not like it's that great for me now '' she rose off the couch and paced back and forth trying to think of what to do , a few hours later sookie was heavily into what she had decided to do in the end ...cleaning , it required very little thought so it took her mind off things and it reminded her of gran which always calmed her down , thinking of gran she decided if the worst happened she wanted to say goodbye so she placed the cleaning rags and bottles back under the sink and walked slowly through the house to inspect her handy work Every surface had been washed buffed and polished the house smelt like pine fresh perfection , so at least Sookie thought grimly I may die safe in the knowledge it would be in a spotless house .

Slipping off her cleaning cloths that consisted of a worn old hooded sweat shirt and denim shorts that were a bit too long for her , she put her long white cotton summer dress back on from last night , it was her favourite dress light and airy with pretty small lacy patterns on the tress and down the sides , she had made it with the knowledge and the sewing machine left to her by her grandmother so it was fitting she wear it for waht might be her last night , slipping on her comfortable white flats she walked out the back door and across into the old grave yard .

It had been many years since anyone had actually been buried here , at least from the town anyway , a newer modern mausoleum had taken over its job and as it was closer to the main town hub much more popular than this broken down old civil war relic . Most of the graves were old and weather worn and over grown with vines and other flora , all except three tombstones at the far end of the grave yard , these were clean and kempt the grass and plants tidy with flowers planted in beds all around . Off to one side was a handmade wooden cross , Sookie had done the best she could to make the cross as nice as possible but she was no carpenter like her father but she thought gran would have approved , Sookie walked slowly touching the tops of each tombstone in turn leading down the line to her grandmothers they read in turn from right to left :**Charles Corrbit Stackhouse:**

**:Jason Mathew Stackhouse: :Marie Anna Stackhouse: **

This was it...the sum total of her entire family , she was all that was left of her small family tree. frilling out her dress Sookie sat at the end grave ..grans grave. She liked to sit here and talk about her problems in life no one had meant more to Sookie , even her own mother had been afraid of her but never gran .

'' I think I might be in trouble gran ...I helped someone and now I think there friend is coming to eat me, I know you always said doing the right thing was its own reward but right now I kind of hope the reward is I get to keep on living. I could run away but where would I go? , and if I leave now and Pam dies it would have all been for nothing '' Sookie's eyes teared and her head fell at the thoughts that were passing through her head , she began to talk again but in a much smaller voice .

''Maybe...maybe it wouldn't be too bad ...to ..You know not be here anymore ...I could be with you guys again...we could be a family again , I know you must all have made it to heaven and I haven't done nothing to bad while I've been here...they may not let me in for being weird or freakish but I figure god must have made me this way so how could he hold it against me? '' .

'' I get so lonely gran I miss you so much '' wiping away stray tears sookie kissed the tops of each grave in turn and made her way back to her house back to face whatever it was she was going to have to face .

Many miles away in Shreveport , Ginger was pulling her battered old VW into the car park of Fangtasia , it was still early they wouldn't open for an hour or two but she always found it a good idea to go above and around in her duty...or was it above and beyond..she had trouble recalling things sometimes ,always with the feeling of needing to do something but not able to remember what that thing was ...had she left the kettle on ? ...no she had unplugged it ...definitely unplugged it, but what about the lights? .

Shaking her head she clambered out in her ankle breaker heels and silvery boobtube concealing her Farley meagre charms , but Ginger was always of the school if you show enough it makes up for what you don't have and she was hoping Long shadow would make her his favourite again she was really getting tired of the Vicky Bitch stealing his att..

Ginger never gotten to finish that thought as less than a few steps away from the staff door said door exploded off its hinges as a black blur bolted out and hurled itself into the sky.

Ginger fell screaming and spilling her overpriced star buck's coffee all over herself

'' what the fuck '' she stammered looking up searching the sky for whatever the hell that was but whatever the hell it in fact was ...it was gone .

Sookie hovered over Pam with a concerned look on her face, should she be up yet? . It had only just now gotten what she would consider dark but Pam was for all she could see ...well...dead .

Having no way of knowing if her current state was good or bad , Sookie decided to go with what little she did know , when Pam had been awake the one thing she had asked for was blood so she had to go with that . The knife was still on the floor by Pam's bed/bench so picking it up Sookie peeled back the bandage on her arm and puffed out her cheeks ...she hated doing this . She drew the knife quickly just above the last cut and pressed it into Pam's mouth rubbing her throat with the other hand to get her to swallow , she had seen her mother do this with Jason to get him to swallow medicine one time when he had a fever and was barely able to speak .

After a minute or two she thought that was enough and quickly pressed a compress that was still there from last night's first aid on Pam to her arm and waited till the bleeding stopped before reapplying the bandage again. Sookie looked down on Pam and waited for some reaction ...she still looked pale but Sookie figured this was pretty much her natural state anyway, should she give her water? Did they drink water? huffing at her lack of knowledge she turned to go back into the house .

She never made it , one minute she was walking the next there a loud bang , she just about had time to turn before she felt her back collide hard with the corner of her front door, all the air left her lungs in a big whoosh and she found she could not replace it as there was now a steel vice attached around her throat squeezing it till she thought her head may pop off , her feet dangled a good three foot off the floor .

Angling her eyes down as moving her head was not an option she saw a terrifying snarling face , his lips were peeled back exposing two massive canine teeth that seemed to glisten in the light , the sound he emitted was unlike anything she had heard before , it was a cross between a dog growl and a low deep rumble, the vibrations of it travelled the length of his arm and passed into her neck .

She clawed at his hand but it felt like rock , there was no way she was moving it, a small crack sounded from Sookies's neck accompanied by a sharp pain that made her want to breath in even more but she could still draw no more air ...she was going to die... at least that's what was going through her head .

''Master '' Pam's voice was so low Sookie had not heard it but Eric had , to be fair all Sookie could hear was the sound of her own hammering heart.

Eric whipped his head around to where Pam lay and let Sookie drop to the floor with thud where she sprawled out gasping and coughing desperate to get some air into her lungs .

Eric knelt beside Pam taking in her condition , her face had been cleaned of her own blood but a little blood that was not hers clung to her lips . He studied the bandages and dressing suspiciously and sniffed the air around her , she seemed in relatively ok condition , she had obviously been fed as her colour would have been off otherwise but she was still weak and barely awake . Eric turned to see the little human scuttle to her feet unsteadily and scamper into her house as quick as she was able , he was allowed to gain entry into this odd structure as it seemed added on but he would not been able to get to her in the main residence without an invite .

The human could wait he needed to get Pam some blood and he wanted to find out what the hell was going on and how she had come to be here , picking her up bridle style he swept her out of the doorway he had made on his way in and took to the sky .

Sookie had managed to stagger upstairs and fling her bedroom door open , she clutched her neck desperate for the throbbing to stop it felt like the time she had fallen out of a tree when she and Jason had been playing but ten times worse , as she could not stop hacking. Her throat felt three sizes too small , she snatched her blankets off her bed and crawled into the far corner like she used to do as a child , sandwidged between the dresser and the wall she buried herself in the blankets and hugged her knees to her chest sobbing tears soaking the bit of blanket covering her face , sitting in the dark that's just how she spent all that night .


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello all again**

**Once more thank you for all your kind reviews and comments , I'm a bit staggered by the number of story alerts that have been attached so am very happy to keep updating , I'm not a big fan of long author intros as I'm sure you would rather read the story so on with the show **

Eric busied himself with the nights paper work that had been piled high on his desk ,the never ending bureaucracy of running an area was still a surprise to him some times , he occasionally looked up when a particular loud moan or slurp issued from the occupants of his offices leather couch . Pam had gone through three willing blood bags so far and the last was now staggering to her feet and fumbling out the door , he nodded satisfactorily at her , a change of clothes a long hot shower a good feed and his child was back to her beautiful petulant self , he had waited till she fed to question her about last night's events but now she was fully restored he wanted answers .

He sat patiently listening to her recount the incident with the weres , apparently things had been going fine till one of them had gotten overly nervous , he was young and had not had dealings with a vampire before he had made an unwise move , attempting to shift and attack Pam he had been dispatched quickly but in a momentary error of judgement Pam had failed to spot the were behind her with a silver blade , the silver had inflicted a nasty wound to her side and as she was killing the knife wieldier a third were had blasted her with double barrel shotgun loaded with silver shot and file .

Pam was tough but these two doses of silver combined with the force of a close range shotgun blast had left her badly wounded , she had managed to get to her car and the rest as they say is history

The Viking had sat with rapt attention and had not spoken during her recounting until she got to the part of the car crash '' and this is when the human found you? ''

Pam nodded and seem to be pondering something so Eric remained silent to wait to see what she was going to say '' You didn't...you didn't hurt her did you ? ''

Eric raised an eyebrow , He had not been expecting that question , Pam was utterly ruthless he could not recall her ever showing much interest in humans other than what they tasted like of how nice their breasts felt .

'' I do not believe I damaged her permanently...however I may have been over zealous in my rush to secure your safety, are you displeased at this? '' Eric knew he was goading her a little but he wanted to see where she was going with this .

'' You are my master I would not presume to bore you with my displeasure '' this was said with a bit of a sharp twang to it '' However you always taught me debts exist to be repaid and ...I owe her, she did not have to help me...she sheltered me, offered her blood and protection ,I would see it repaid if I can, but also she seemed ...different to me I'm not sure exactly sure, it may have just been that I was in a weakened state'' Eric knew she wanted to add more so again her let silence hang in the air a bit '' What did you think of her? '' she finally asked .

Eric leaned back in his chair stretching his long arms behind his head , observing Pam for a moment she was strangely intense about this , well as intense as he had seen her in the last hundred years or so '' I did not have time to give her much of a once over, I know it seems odd to wear sunglasses indoors..at night , but other than that I was more concerned with you '' Eric smiled broadly '' Do you think I did not do her justice '' he waggled his eyebrows when saying this and it seemed to break the sombre mood a little as Pam rolled her eyes and rose to her feet .

'' I'm going to find something pathetic to torture until we can track down the remainder of the weres who bushwhacked me ...I trust that is in hand yes? '' .

'' You can rest assured that it is being taken care of as we speak , go amuse your self ...get you pep back as the humans say ''

Pam sashayed out the door throng a look over her shoulder '' yes I intend to suck quite a bit of Pep tonight '' and with that she closed the door .

Morning slowly illuminated the old Stackhouse farmhouse and brought the brightness back into the ageing building , but upstairs the houses sole occupant was feeling anything if bright . Sookie had spent the entire night huddled in the corner crying , waiting for the Vampire to return and Finish her off , hiding under her blanket fortress she couldn't understand why he did not follow her upstairs immediately to do god knows what to her , after a while she thought he might be drawing it out to make her suffer .

But now it was morning she wondered if he really was gone? , she had been too terrified to move last night but now her bladder was screaming and her spine was getting excruciating in its need to stretch , slowly she pulled herself to her feet , whimpering as she attempted to move her neck and then crying out as her back made a series of loud pops .

Walking like an old women , stooped and slow she made her way to the bathroom step by painful step, after she had relieved herself she made the mistake of looking in the mirror and could not stop the tears from falling from her already angry red and puffy eyes .

Her neck was a collage of sickly yellow's , blue's and , black's with an almost red outline of fat finger marks stretching right round her neck , she could barley move it an inch and the only position that did not bring a sharp sting of pain was keeping it slightly elevated .

Carefully removing her glasses she gingerly eased her dress over her head to inspect her back; it was like wise pockmarked with blackish blue bruises running in a straight line down her spine following the outline of the front door frame it had so violently come into contact with last night .

Fighting back more tears she turned on the shower with some difficulty as she could not look down and climbed under the spray , the water was both painful and refreshing on her battered body but mainly she wanted to wash away the tears and fearful sweat it felt like she was coated in .

After an awkward drying process of trying to find a place she could touch herself that didn't hurt she slipped on her old worn dressing gown as she couldn't face the thought of any other cloths at this point . Descending down the stairs one cautious step at a time she came to stand in her front door way , Sookie still half expected to be attacked by some awful thing despite the day light but all seemed safe and calm . She desperately wanted to rip down all the wood covering her front porch to erase the main reminder ( besides the throbbing pain ) of her encounter with Vampires but there was no way she was up to that at the moment .

Gran had always told her hate profited you nothing but right now she was having a hard time with that concept ...'' Gran used to say no good deed go's unpunished as well '' she mumbled to herself and turned back into the house to heat a hot towel for her neck


	6. Chapter 6

Ok I think I've two update in me tonight.

It had been almost a week now since Sookie's encounter with the undead and the days had past pretty much as they had done the last few years , lonely and uneventful . She had dismantled her make shift front porch black out conservatory and the house now bore no sign of the incident that had troubled her since then .

For the first few days Sookie did not venture out at night and even tried to limit her movements during the day , she slept in the attic at first , dragging her blankets and an old fold out mattress up the rickety slide out stairs . She had not done this in years not since her first few months alone after gran had passed away and she had found the long winter nights on her own terrifying , every stray noise or hint of movement had her heart betting like a drum and sent her scrabbling for her plushy blue elephant to cling too for comfort , that had been a long time ago now but that's pretty much how the last few days had felt to her all over again , and she would not ashamed to admit her elephant had gone up with her .

But soon she started to think they had just gotten what they wanted and left her in peace she wasn't looking for a thank you so if they seemed inclined not to hurt her she was happy with that . Sookie yawned and stretched luxuriously in bed her neck had gotten much better and aside from a few lingering gray bits it was well on the road to completely healing , she still heard a slight clicking noise that had not been there before when she moved her head , and her back also popped more than it had previously but at least the pain had gone , she always healed first she had caught her father thinking a few times that her quick healing and lack of sickness of any kind was part of her being ''Wrong '' as he thought it .

Rolling onto her back she dozed lightly and considered what she should do today, it had been a while since she had tended everyone's graves she could do that...but that always brought her down a bit so she decided to start pulling up some of the front flower beds and planting some winter vegetables' to make stews for the coming cold season . Also she needed to try and sort out the back guttering they could use cleaning out if she didn't want another episodes with leaking roof tiles , it was a constant battle to keep this old house alive but Sookie didn't mind it gave her something to do , plus the way she looked at it this old her house had taken care of her and protected her since she was little girl so she owed it .

Armed with a plan she hoped in the shower and gave herself a god scrub , she was feeling in the mood so she used up the last of her pressed flower oil she had made last year , she loved the smell and it always put some swing in her step . Drying off she then pulled on her gardening cloths and skipped down the stairs two at a time , throwing a small log into the old cast iron arga cooker in the kitchen she set about boiling some water for her morning coffee . She frowned when she saw how little she had left but that was not a big surprise she had not wanted to sleep much so had drank more than normal the last few days '' Oh well the funny little man will be here tomorrow with some more '' she spoke in a sing song voice .

The funny little man as she called him was the delivery man for the local general goods store in Bon Temps town , Gran had always had an open account with them with a direct payment set up from the bank , she had started to find it hard to get into town as often when she got older so had set it up a year or so before her death , this had turned out to be a god send as Sookie did not know what she would have done for food otherwise , granted she had been unable to change the standing order so she had been getting the same food for a good seven years but she always had her vegetable garden .

The funny man had gotten his name as Sookie out of sheer curiosity often spied on him from the woods when he left the box of groceries by the seldom used mail box at the end of hummingbird drive, he was always thinking without fail about different ways to make the most of what little hair still clung to his pretty much bald shiny head , always without fail! . Should he dye it should , should he comb it back , should he get implants? . Sookie would crouch in the tree cover and stifle her giggles at the endless list he came up with to do something with so little , laughing just at the memory she sauntered out her front door cracked mug in hand sipping coffee , looking down at something that she saw a in the corner of her eye she froze .

Sitting innocently on the floor of her porch was a silver box with big red bow, Sookie would feel a little silly about this reaction later but at the time it made sense to her, dropping her mug she darted back into the house slamming the door behind her, she dove onto the couch and grabbed a pillow to hug to herself and watched the door with a fixed panicked look, she was almost expecting the parcel to somehow follow and chase her round the room .

After a few minutes that seemed like a less likely scenario so she walked slowly to the door and cracked it open just a pinch, she couldn't see the box so she had to open it a bit wider and there it was again, kicking herself for not doing this first she spread out her mental net and scanned for any minds that may be lurking out there ...none there was nothing in her range at all .

Creeping all the way out and avoiding what was left of her mug and coffee she poked the box with her foot and waited for a reaction ...nothing no boom or bang or ...whatever else it may do.

Bending down she picked the box up in her slightly shaking hands and once again retreated back into the house, placing it gently on the kitchen table she took a chair in front of it and just looked at it for a bit .

The Silver paper was a little sparkly and shined in the morning light , the bow was a deep rich red and tied in some sort of knot type bow thing that in itself looked like a piece of art! .

Sookie hadn't gotten a present since gran died but she still remembered what they were, Christmas and birthdays had always been exciting for her with pretty parcels and cake. Deciding it was not going to open itself she carefully untied the ribbon as she fully intended to keep that for something as it was so pretty, also the paper was not ripped by carefully pulled open to exposé a white box with gold lettering in joined up script on the top '' Marchesa '' sookie spoke aloud .

She frowned a little wishing she knew what a Marchesa was? , it might give her a hint as to what's inside, lifting the lid slowly she peeked over the top .

Soft looking light lavender fabric filled the box , caution forgotten she tossed the lid aside and pulled out the most gorgeous dress she had ever seen , it was made of some sort of light silky material that was still a little heavier than any other silk she had seen before , rubbing it against her cheek she was almost purring it was so SOFT! .

The front had some sort of silver diamond stones set in a way Sookie could not get her head round they weren't sewn in but just sort of hung there in an elegant magic trick .

Taking three steps a time she darted upstairs pulling off her sweater as she went and sort of hoped the last few feet to her bedroom as she pulled off her denim shorts on the way , Standing in front of the full length mirror in her knickers she let the dress slide down her body and almost shuddered from the feel of the fabric on her skin, fiddling with the side zip she turned back around to look at herself

Tears slipped down each check as Sookie could not keep them from her eyes...she looked beautiful...Like a princess , grabbing a black band off her dresser she tied her hair up high and turned back again

Turning this way and that she let the dress frill out as she moved round the room in a little dance all on her own

She had never felt so pretty in all her life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Nothing to say but this story is so much fun to write **

**Cheers Review people **

The previous night too Sookie's little happy dance Pam was doing a dance of her own but not what one would call happy. She glided round the dance floor of fangtasia her body moving in a way no humans ever could .

But it was a bored dance she liked the music well enough but in her mind dancing was fore play with cloths on , you used your body to draw the object of your desires to you and in turn they let you know what they could do with theirs .

The issue at present was there was not a single individual in the bar who Pam could view with anything but disdain, the usual assortment of skanks and grubby whores had presented themselves like a loathsome rotten buffet but not one of interest , turning to snarl at a foolish drunkard who was in danger of violating her personnel space , the man retreated so quickly he tripped over his own feet and crashed to the ground .

Eric who had been furiously texting on his PDA looked up and scowled at his child, Pam shrugged as if to say I didn't touch him and walked to the bar to get a true blood , at least she could get something to eat even if it was vile stuff, the alternative to was to hold her nose and sink her teeth into one of these...Pam could not think of a derogatory term horrible enough for some of these ...things ...Skunk pussy?..That was a good one .

This was the down side to the great revelation it had made vampires a little lazy, all their food trotted to them now the hunt was fast becoming a lost art, Pam used to adore trawling high society balls with Eric in search on that one human who stood out who shined like a blossom in a barren garden ...Like her little Angel .

She had often thought of her Angel in the week or so since they had met, at first dealing with weres who had attacked her and gotten away had taken top priority, tracking them, catching them, and torturing the living fuck out of then for two days straight! .

But once that fun was all done and dusted she found herself thinking about her again, had she really smelt like that? , looked like that? , She could have just been whacked out but she could almost taste that BLOOD here fangs popped down just at the thought! . Unfortunately a haggard looking slapper with cigarette breath and too much perfume mistook Pam's dreamy smile and fang display to be a come on to her , she attempted a sexy walk over to the bar pulling her tacky looking red leather corset down even further to display her fang marked white foundation covered breasts .

Pam gagged a bit at the smell of the cheap nasty scent this poor deluded bitch bought by the oil drum full she would bet .

'' Like what you see '' the fangbanger purred in what she hoped was a husky voice but to Pam the true master of the husky voice (Eric had showed her how) it just sounded like she needed a throat lozenge .

Smiling evilly she brought herself to actually touch this wretched creature on the arm and whisper (while holding her breath) into her ear '' I'm leaving soon but I know you would just be what he is looking for, just tell him Pam sent you ''

Pam pointed up to the stage and an oblivious Eric still hammering away on his keypad with both thumbs , sitting so far back he looked in danger of slipping off the chair but still managing to look like her owned the place .

The fangbangers eyes bulged to match her protruding gut '' you really think? ''

Pam smiled '' I really think '' she gave the banger a little push towards the stage and turned to Long Shadow '' I'm going to do some late night shopping at the mall , tell Eric I will see him later ''.

Long shadow nodded silently and went back to serving customers; Pam grabbed her purse and made for the door she just made it to her car in time to feel the DISGUST then ANGER that was coming from her Master

She would of course pay for that later but when you're immortal you have to find ways to pass the time .

Once at the Shreveport Golden falls shopping mall Pam started her hunt ...for the perfect dress, she had always had an eye for fashion even when she was human , as far back as when carrying the wrong parasol to Royal ascot could get you ostracised, she could size up a women in a minute and just know what they would and would not wear .

The Angel was no slut so anything flashy or low cut was out of the question, but she would however wear something that showed her very natural beauty, she would only wear light colours so darks black's , reds , etc were also out .

It could not be too short but she recalled those lickable looking legs under what Pam now called the sacrificed virgin night dress she wore, she had legs to pull off an understated hem line low but not short .

It had to be a soft yielding material to match her soft golden blemish free smooth skin , Pam grinned if she was till human she would be giving herself a hot flush .

Sauntering in like she could buy and sell the shop Pam stopped at one of the smaller high class boutiques and perused there wears ...then she saw it .

It was light a pale Lavender in colour, it was low but not short , so it would fall to about just bout mid knee but would swing and move with her when she danced .

It cut off just above the breast line so you would damn well know she had a pretty fine set of tits but they would not be hanging out for the entire world to see .

Set crystals would help to accentuate her chest even more; it had a single slender strap that would lap over gracefully on the left side of her long elegant neck when she tied her hair up .

It was made of 100% pure Thai imported silk with a light wafer thin layer of cashmere in the bust and in the hem to give it a slight heft .

It was by Marchesa and they wanted $ 2'480.00 for it

...''Hot damn that's pretty darn fuckable '' Pam grinned from ear to ear , she heard the sales attendant walking up behind her and before giving her a chance to speak and without even looking at her Pam pointed to the dress and barked '' Give me that and wrap it in a bright looking box with a...red bow ''

The assistant to her credit said nothing and turned round a walked off without stopping to fulfil her request.

It was the early hours when Pam arrived outside the Stackhouse farm, there were no lights on and no sign of movement, Pam found it odd but there wasn't any lingering scent outside the house or front porch (that had been returned she presumed to its normal state) .

Pam hoped that this lack of scent did not indicate the Angel had run away or been forced to hide from her...and probably Eric .

She had managed to get Eric to admit that he may have been understating things when he said he was overzealous with her during their encounter , ruff treatment from a thousand year old vampire could be a harsh thing for even the strongest mortal never mind a fragile little thing like her saviour.

Oh well hope for the best she thought, silently she place the box by the front door and disappeared in a blur off into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

Sookie was pottering round her bedroom in the fading afternoon light , she had been scrap booking again, this was a hobby she had engaged in for a number of years now since she discovered on one of her long walks that about two miles down the road there was a Christian soldiers drop off point for old magazines and books to be recycled , she felt guilty at first and wondered if this was steeling but she reasoned she was giving them a good home and never took too many that would be missed .

She liked thumbing through the various publications looking for what she considered interesting and pretty pictures and sticking them in thick volumes , they contained all sort of pictures on different subjects, animals, places around the world...and also men and boys who sometimes later stared in her secret fantasies of getting married in a big church and having lots of babies so she would never be alone .

Biting her tongue between her lips and brow frowned in concentration she was carefully cutting the outline of a picture of the Champs elysee , this was to go with her picture of a ruggedly handsome man modelling a nice three piece suit .

She was setting up a date in her head, they would have dinner in one of the restaurants from the photo, him wearing the suit in the picture only Sookie was thinking it was blue, they would walk along the illuminated boulevard holding hands, she would be wearing her lavender dress and then he would stop her gently pull her in close and kiss her .

Smiling like a loon she was dragged out of her fantasy world by the thought of the dress, it was currently hanging on the back of her bedroom door, she had hung it in the closet first but found she was just getting it out every five minutes anyway to look at it so she might as well leave it out, just looking at it made her happy but there was the nagging question who had left it ? . As far as she knew no one was aware she was even alive so it could have been a mistake she supposed ...but it fit her like a glove and what's more if she had to pick a dress to wear she would pick THAT dress it was perfect in every way like someone pulled it out of her head ! .

But it still brought a bit of panic to her throat as the thought that somebody might come looking for it back , not just that she would have to face somebody from the outside world but that she would cry her heart out to have to give it up .

The sun was slowly setting in the sky so she put away her books and magazines and wandered outside the sky had turned a deep rich pink and the heat of the day was leaving the air , she still had her white sun dress on but just fancied planting some fresh posies in the side flower beds so could not be bothered to change . She had been meaning to do this early today but had been caught up in dream land and lost track of the time , fetching the old wicker basket full of baby seedlings she ambled leisurely round the side of the house and knelt down to trill up some of the earth with her grandfathers old hand trowel . Sookie LOVED to garden something about having her hands in the earth and helping new life to grow just made her giddy and always cheered her up .

Pottering away happily she did not notice it grew darker and darker the old porch light allowed her to see what she was doing so the dark was not an issue , plus she having some much fun and was so relaxed she didn't really care that much .

That is until she felt a space...a space where a mind should be...it was in the woods a few hundred yards away and she just knew it was watching her .

Pam has not intended to go and try and see the angel again that night , but she sometimes just loved to run in the woods round Bojer and Shreveport, granted Bon Temps had not in the past been one of her favoured spots but after her last trip up here to drop off her present she had admired how peaceful and isolated it was, so after a bit of zipping around it was not great detour to find her way back to the house where she lived .

Pam smelt her before he saw her, it carried on the wind like a sugary sweet waft, and it had not just been here imagination she really did smell that sweet. Carefully and silently she got closer still concealed by the woods until she saw her .

She was wearing her white dress again and was knelling in front of some flower beds humming a happy little tune to herself, Pam looked closer and saw she was planting little pink and red flowers in neat rows, her hair was tied in a ponytail this time and it swished playfully back and forth when she moved her head, Pam couldn't help the smile it brought to her lips ...that smile fell through when her vampire eyes noticed the dark patches round her neck...'' Fucking hell Eric ''...she muttered with a small frown .

Just as Pam was wondering if she should make her presence known the Angel visibly froze, she turned her head from right lo left like she was listening for something but Pam could only hear the odd cricket and there was no way in hell she would be able to hear her all the way over where she was, Pam was silent as a cougar stalking her pry she was proud of this.

The angel seemed to fish in a small pocket the dress concealed and slip something on her face, just as Pam was pondering what that might be the Angel jumped up and ran as fast as her little legs would carry her round to the front of the house leaving a trail of posies in her wake from the abandoned basket .

Pam had time to think but her body just reacted one minute it was in the woods the next it was in front of her , the angel screeched and came to a sudden stop clutching her hands in front of herself almost in a praying fashion.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Pam spoke

'' Hello again''


	9. Chapter 9

Hello all , just to quickly address some questions I've been asked as do not want readers to think I'm ignoring them , Yes Eric will become a larger part of the story as who duz'nt love the big ol Viking , it's just Pam at the moment is the main source of getting to know Sookie so it's heavy on her right now

Will be some Nasty Eric as he is a bad ass 1st and a lover 2nd but I'm not doing EVIL Eric

I hate story's where Eric meets Sookie and falls to his knees professing undying love in the space of one chapter , it shows sloppy narrative and duz not give Mrs Harris's creation Justice , if Eric was inclined to do this sort of thing her would not have lasted a thousand days never mind a thousand years

Sookie's age will be revealed shortly but bear in mind mentally she is much younger due to isolation, children left to their own devices from a young age will not mature like the rest of us

Also I feel the need to apologise for some silly spelling mistakes and wrong words used in some of the previous chapters, ( stupid spell check ) I'm trying to balance my enthusiasm for telling the story and updating quickly and taking the time to proof read properly

An Aga is a type of old wood burning stove you will often see in older property's ..some one wanted to know

Royal Ascot is a yearly race club meeting held in England ( Pam's old stomping ground ) that is considered one of the heights of the upper class social calendar ( I met the Queen there once ! ) and has been for about 300 years since the early 1700's so Pam would be very familiar with this

And the sunglasses sookie wears ...well you will have to read on wont you (-:

Sookie stared at the Vampire who had just appeared in front of her , clutching her hands to her chest she tried to not to panic , at least it was Pam and not Eric if Eric had just popped up in front of her she would have had a heart attack , sookie didn't know what to say and did not want to get ahead of herself by begging for her life straight off the bat so she left the first move to Pam...she just hoped it wasn't her last move .

'' Hello Again '' Pam finally spoke , Sookie noted that when she wasn't half dead ...well she was dead ...but not struggling to talk , that Pam had a slight accent she could not place .

''mmmmm..Hello '' Sookie tried to think of something to say but she was stuck so against her earlier plan she came out with the main thing on her mind '' Are you going to kill me? '' her voice had gotten a bit higher with each word so ''Me'' had pretty much sounded like a squeek .

'' If I killed you I would never get to see if I was right about the dress would I , plus I owe you so no I'm not going to kill you '' Pam didn't like the question or the fear that was coming off the girl , but she could hardly blame her for thinking that , up close she could get a better look at the marks Eric had left the last time they were here .

'' You got me the dress! '' Sookie had found her voice again so this came out normal and her surprise that her fairy god mother was in fact a Vampire god mother was a bit of a shock '' I love the dress thank you ...but you didn't need to get that for me..It looks really expensive , I've never owned a dress like it before '' Pam was pleased she liked the dress she was confident she would anyway but was glad to hear it from her .

'' Do you want to sit down on the porch little one you look like you might fall over any minute ''

Sookie did feel like her legs were a bit rubbery so she just dumbly nodded and made her way slowly past Pam onto the front porch and plopped down onto the bench , Pam followed at an equally slow pace she did not want to frighten the girl any more that she already was , her little heart was hammering so loud Pam wondered if you would even need to be a Vampire to hear it .

She took the space next to her but gave her plenty of room and crossed her legs at the knee smoothing out her dress she relaxed back to hopefully encourage the little Angel to do the same .

'' What is your name ? , you know mine don't you ? '' Sookie turned her head from staring nervously straight ahead '' You said it was Pam ?...right ''

Pam grinned ''Yes I'm glad you remember, and you are ? ''

''Sookie '' Pam pondered the name for a moment before repeating it back to her '' Sookie? ''

'' I do not believe I have ever met a Sookie before ...is it short for something? ..or one of those nick names humans seem to like so much ? '' Pam did think Sookie was a odd name but at the same time it might suit the girl , it was short and sweet...just like her .

'' No its not short for anything ...it's just Sookie '' There was an uncomfortable silence between the unlikely pair and Pam could tell the Angel ..or Sookie as she now knew to call her had something on the tip of her tongue .

'' Is Eric here ? '' Sookie blurted out while looking round , expecting the fearsome Vampire to appear at any moment and beat the hell out of her again .

Pam frowned and cleared her throat in a very human and unnecessary kind of way '' No Eric is not here and I think we should talk about that , I can see Eric hurt you '' Pam reached out to touch Sookie's neck but she shrank back and tucked her head in like a tortoise , Pam withdrew her hand without comment and continued speaking '' But you must understand he did not intend to harm you , he was simply concerned for my safety and believed you may be a danger '' Sookies eyes must have bulged at the thought Eric saw her as a threat because Pam quickly tried to quell her fears

'' He is aware now you are NOT involved with the individuals who attacked me , and will not seek to harm you in anyway , if anything he would no doubt LOVE to meet you again under more friendly terms '' Pam grinned and showed a bit of fang in what she intended to be a good natured fun kind of way by Sookie just looked scared even more so she quickly put them away .

'' Oh...ok ..I guess as long as he isn't coming back then I suppose that's alright '' Sookie absent mindedly rubbed her neck as she said this so Pam was thinking that bridge was nowhere near repaired ...but it would do for now .

Pam began talking again to keep things light and flowing '' If anything he is very grateful for the assistance you rendered me ( Little white lie ) and that brings me to part of the reason for my visit tonight '' .

Sookie shifted a little in her seat but waited for Pam to continue '' Why did you do it ? ''

Sookie shifted around even more ...was she being accused of something? , done something wrong ? '' Why did I do what ? '' she spoke in a soft small voice .

'' Why did you help me ? '' Pam clarified '' You did not know me , did not owe me anything , and you knew I was a vampire or you would not have taken the time to block out the sun while I rested ...these are not the actions I have come to expect from humans , that in part is was why Eric reacted the way he did , he could not believe someone would just help a vampire for no reason ''

Sookie paused to think about it ...why had she helped ...she thought back to the time by the tree and decided to give the honest answer '' You were all alone...and afraid '' Pam grimaced a little at the afraid part but let her carry on '' You needed help and I was there so ...I helped you , everyone deserves help ...No one should have to be all alone '' Sookie looked down at her hands and rubbed them together a bit .

'' You are a strange little human aren't you? '' It sounded like Pam was almost talking to herself but Sookie just nodded and said '' I've been told that sometimes ''

Pam stood up slowly as to not ruin the progress that had made so far and send Sookie scampering away again , She leaned against the porch railing looking down at Sookie '' Is there no one else here Sookie ? , where are your parents , your family ? ''

Sookie swallowed and examined her hands again , she wondered if it was wise to tell a vampire she was all alone in the house but she was betting Pam was already aware of this '' It's just me ...my family all went away ..There was my gran for a while ...but then she went away too '' .

Pam had a good idea what she meant by went away but left it at that '' How old are you little one ? ''

Sookie had to think about this for a moment , keeping track of birthdays was not much of a priority for her so she was not actually completely sure '' Nineteen ...I think , maybe twenty ? ''

'' You don't know ? '' Pam knew humans loved to mark out the years , that in a way made sense as they lived for so short a time , keeping track of years for a vampire was a bit pointless , you might as well count grains of sand .

'' Well I kinda lost track ...but I think it's about that '' Sookie shrugged to indicate she did not really mind being unsure so once again Pam dropped the line of questioning .

Sookie looked towards the open front door of her house and for a minute Pam thought she going to bolt but instead she turned back around and asked '' Do you want to come in for ...'' Sookie had nothing to finish that sentence with , she was going to offer tea or something the way Gran had always done but it seemed unlikely Pam would drink Tea .

Seeing her problem Pam helped her out '' I would like to come into your home yes, but I do not require any refreshment, you most likely were not expecting my company I gather '' .

Sookie smiled for the first time since Pam arrived and Pam found it strangely gratifying , it was the same light up the sky smile that she saw when she was being cared for and there was now not so much fear in her face , she would like to see if there was fear in her eyes but she had those strange little round sunglasses on again , Pam wanted to ask her about this but thought one step at a time might be a better approach .

Having received her invitation Pam was now able to follow Sookie inside , Pam did wonder if Sookie knew the significance of inviting a Vampire into your home but she would bet she did not .

Surveying the living room she had been led into Pam could tell all the furniture was old but clean , in fact the whole house smelt clean as far as she could tell , Various cleaning products and polish were in the air , as well as a healthy dose of Sookie's own scent which was infinitely more appealing to the Vampire .

The smell did however trouble her in one way , Pam had of course smelt Virgins before as Sookie clearly was , even if she could not detect the tell tail signs entwined in her scent , Sookie just screamed untouched , everything about her did , the way she talked the way she moved .

But Sookie's unusual smell was not linked to her maiden head it was ...different but Pam could not place it , she had certainly not smelt if before and wished again that Eric had not gone all berserker and taken the time to maybe give Sookie the once over , he was much older and would maybe perhaps have a better idea than her .

Taking the seat offered to her Pam relaxed into the old but still comfortable couch , while sookie took the arm chair opposite , Sookie folded her legs under herself and tried to relax a little , if Pam meant her harm she would have done something by now to bring it about .

Sensing what Sookie was thinking Pam spoke up again '' I'm glad you are less fearful, I do not enjoy seeing you afraid of me '' .

'' I'm sorry its not just you its ...well its I don't get many visitors '' For many actually see none thought Sookie but better to keep that to herself .

'' You are the first Vampire I've ever met ...what's it like ? , do you enjoy it ? ''

Pam regarded her for a minute '' Yes I enjoy it , I've been a vampire for a very long time , many times longer than when I was alive so its all I know now and given the choice I would remain as I am ''

'' How did you know I was a Vampire Sookie ? '' Pam had wanted to ask this question for a while but only now felt they were on friendly enough term to bring it up , she however was a little puzzled when Sookie obviously became very nervous again .

''I...Just ...I just kinda guessed '' That sounded LAME to Sookie and she was the one who said it so god knows what Pam was thinking of her , she really should have thought up an excuse for that and kicked herself mentally .

'' Do you assume that every person you find by the roadside is a Vampire ? '' Pam was thinking the answer was a bit lame but could not see what Sookie could have to hide .

'' Your the first person I've found by the road...so I don't know ...you were very cold when I bandaged you that might have been what did it '' Nice save thought Sookie smiling a little

''Ahh yes the bandaging ..I wish however if you were going to have attended to my breasts that I would have been awake at the time to enjoy it '' Pam could not keep that in , it was just not in her nature to let a golden opportunity to flirt like that go by .

Sookie turned a bright Pink and Pam thought she might have swayed a bit in her chair much to her amusement , she could not suppress the laugh she let loose , this human certainly was a lot of fun.

Sookie wanted the Chair to swallow her up , was she really talking about breasts with a Vampire in her Grandmothers Living room?. Even for strange little Sookie this was a bit on the bizarre side

Pam slowed her chuckles '' I'm sorry Sookie I did not mean to tease you , I just couldn't resist , I am of course grateful as I have said for your treatment '' .

Something occurred to Sookie since they were talking about this that she had not asked '' Are you all healed now ? , that's really quick! ''

'' I'm a Vampire Sookie we all heal quick , some blood a change of clothes and its as if it never happened ...your blood was particularly helpful for that I think '' and with that she shot her a cheeky wink .

Sookie grinned and laughed a little but she stifled it with her hand in yet another gesture Pam found a little strange , looking at her hand she followed it down and up her arm and now it was Pam's turn to point something out .

'' You seem to heal quick as well Sookie '' and pointed at the two faint pink lines on Sookie's arm , that had been a week ago gashes used to feed a hungry vampire , Pam was ignorant of a lot of facets of humans but she knew a lot about wounds and a week was quick to heal up cuts like that .

Sookie's good nature dried up quickly again and averted her eyes , looking down she started playing with her hands , When she looked up Pam was no longer on the couch she was knelling in front of her .

Sookie jumped and leaned back but the chair and the way she was sitting kept her in place , Pam held up her hands in a surrender gesture before slowly taking one of Sookie's hands and giving it a little squeeze, Sookie just stared at her hand entwined with Pam's , this was the first time she had held anyone's hand in nearly seven years .

Pam used her other hand to bring Sookie's face round look up at her and stroked her cheek in a mirror of what Sookie had done to Pam when comforting her '' Please don't be afraid of me Sookie , you have nothing to fear , I told you I owe you and I mean to repay you , the dress was just something nice to do , it was not to pay the debt ...and I find you interesting for a human , that would be a shame to waste ''.

Sookie held her breath as Pam leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek and followed her eyes as she rose to stand '' Its late little one , I should let you get to bed I think ''

Sookie jumped up and walked to the kitchen to retrieve Pam's purse that had been left in the house during all the ...excitement of Eric's arrival , and presented it with outstretched Arms to Pam who was standing by the door , the vampire smiled when she saw it '' I thought I had lost that '' .

Turning Pam walked out onto the porch and inhaled deeply the night air, Sookie stood in the door way watching the Vampire with fascination...she didn't want her to leave , this had been the longest she had talked to ...well anybody in so long .

As if in answer Pam turned around to face her again '' you would be against me returning to see you again Sookie ? ''

Sookie answered probably a bit too quick but she didn't care '' No..no I would like you ...I mean if your around then please feel free ..please come back ''

Pam smiled to return the one Sookie now wore and Blurred into the night , Sookie stared into the darkness for a few minutes before shouting out '' Night Pam '' and waved a little

With that she closed the door .


	10. Chapter 10

**Not sure why that last chapter was all in bold script?**

Sookie was not sure if Pam had meant it when she said she would come back but sure enough after two days she returned just after sun down , soon they fell into an easy going pattern .

Pam would arrive and they would sometimes walk in the woods or around the perimeter of the Stackhouse property, or just sit in the living room and talk .

Sookie was starting to look forward to her visits more and more , it was fantastic to have somebody to talk to and much more rewarding than talking to yourself , she had a friend now!...well maybe And even better a maybe friend who seemed to know everything about everything .

For Pam's part she was also enjoying their strange little interaction , this was not something Pam had done before she normally found humans a bore or repulsive, But Sookie was different she asked a lot of questions like most humans did , but unlike the vermin who swarmed round Fangtasia Sookie did not ask the coffin , fang , or soil of your home country questions , she wanted to know about places Pam had been , how had she got there and general facts about the world at large .

Sookie had tried to ask some questions about different types of food from around the world but that topic quickly died off , Pam had attempted to tell her about the different way's some people's blood tasted but Sookie went a little green so they left it at that .

Although Pam did genuinely enjoy just talking to Sookie she also wanted to try and find out more about her , why was she here all alone ? , why did she never ever leave the farm ? , or for that matter never appear without her ever present sunglasses .

Pam soon learnt although Sookie loved to chat , once you got her going she would chitter on like mad , but if you asked her direct questions about herself she shut down cold and it would take a while before you could start her up again .

A master of subtly Pam had resorted to slipping in little quires into the general conversation and Sookie would let slip with a bit of information ,she could add to her growing list of facts to build up a picture about her strange little human .

She now Knew Sookie's grandmother had owned the farm and all the surrounding land so she had no rent to worry about , food was delivered to her on a set rota by an individual called the '' Funny Man '' and this was all payed for directly from her late grandmothers bank account ,as were the house hold bills , Water , Power etc . Pam did not point out that a dead person ( who was not a vampire ) could not hold a bank account so she was starting to come to the conclusion it was in fact not publically known that Adele Stackhouse was dead , and had been dead for some time , leaving Sookie for whatever reason all alone .

There was no phone or broadband in the house and Pam had yet to even see a radio anyplace, she knew Sookie availed herself of books and magazines from some sort of Christian military organisation that was a few miles away .

And these seemed to be her main source of knowledge regarding the world at large, she certainly wasn't stupid , and even impressed Pam a little by regurgitating whole passages from books she had read .

Other than utilities Sookie's needs seemed painfully simple , also rather impressively she made a lot of things herself , her cloths for instance while plain were skilfully sewn and cloth recycled to make other things , but Sookie could not hope to make everything , so that is how they came to be having the particular talk they were having now , sat in Sookie's bed room , Pam was sitting crossed legged on Sookie's bed and Sookie was mimicking her on the floor .

'' So let me get this straight Sookie...you have NEVER worn a brassiere...ever...in your entire life?''

Sookie just looked at her blankly before shrugging her shoulders '' No...when gran died I didn't have any...well you know '' Sookie jerked her head down to indicate her chest .

''But sookie you have ...well let's not beat around the bush , you have some impressive puppies there , I just find it hard to believe you have managed to get by without having some sort of support , even when I was alive we had contraptions for that sort of thing ...they involved a pound of lace and a yard of string but it was better than nothing! '' .

Sookie shrugged again '' It's never bothered me ...I guess I don't need one ''

''Maybe not now Sookie when every things still perky but someday ...''

Pam saw a chance to bring it up and in the back of her mind she thought it might not end well but she went for it anyway .

'' Sookie we could go shopping at the mall for some th...''

Sookie started shaking her head quickly side to side '' No no no ...I don't want to talk about this anymore , tell me more about France do they really eat snails ? ''

''Sookie why do you not want to leave? , you're not agoraphobic we go outside all the time to walk , what are you afraid off ? ''

Sookie stood up and shifted a little from foot to foot '' I'm not afraid ...I just don't want too ''

'' But Sookie every question you ask me is about things outside this house and farm ? , you must want to know or you wouldn't ask '' Pam knew she was pushing her now and was seriously considering Glamour to get her out of the House , but if she did that she could only imagine what Sookie's Reaction would be when she dropped the glamour in the middle of the mall , she could start screeching the place down or running round like a chicken with its head cut off and she liked her too much to do that to her , if she kept the Glamour up the whole time she would never know she left thus rendering the whole exercise pointless.

'' I don't have any money anyway it's all in grans bank and ...well I wouldn't know how to get to it ''

'' Sookie I would gladly pick you up some thi...'' Sookie turned to walk out of the room but carried on the conversation '' I cant let you but me things , you already got me that dress '' She stopped at the door '' Please Pam I don't want to talk about it anymore ...cant we just go for a walk? ''

Pam opened and closed her mouth a few times but the distressed look on Sookie's face sealed the deal , she would drop it ...for now .

Bobby Burman loved his job he was the DAYWALKER for the oldest badest Vamp in the state , cruising with the top down in his company supplied Chrysler ( company being Eric ) , he was on his way to pick up the leaflets for the much anticipated Fangtasia Halloween bash .

Slowing to nod and give a little wave to some passing girls who did their best to pretend they had not seen him he was snapped out of his perving by the sound of his mobile playing '' Don't fear the reaper '' by BOC

Flicking it open he tried to put on his best professional voice '' This is Burman '' The voice on the other end of the line sneered '' I know you idiot I called you, now Burman you worm I have a little job for you, you are going to find out everything you can about the Stackhouse Family and farm in Bon Temps '' Bobby cleared his throat '' Do you have anything else to go on other than the name ? ''

'' The name is all you should need you dick now chop fucking chop '' and with that the line went dead .

Bobby huffed and tossed the phone onto the passenger's seat '' I fucking hate that Bitch '' .

**(Fangtasia )**

Eric was flicking through choices of new table cloth samples muttering to himself for the sixth time that night '' Where the hell is Pam , this is her thing '' .

Just then Pam waltzed into her office lightly tossing her mobile phone in the air and catching it again looking immensely pleased with herself '' That look usually means somebody has just had a bad night , what have you done now ? '' .

Pam gracefully seated her self on the rich black leather couch and smiled '' Nothing of note ''

''Well then you can start doing your job and deal with these , Eric tossed the sample book at her and it was caught with ease , opening it Pam flicked a few pages then selected a deep Burgundy with black swirls patterns '' This one '' she held it up for Eric '' This one is perfect '' .

''Red pam...that's hardly original , I could have just picked the red one ''

'' Your just grumpy about something , I haven't just picked the red one , the black swirls will go with the black net skirts I picked out for the waitress , the burgundy will go with the streamers and True blood fountain I've arranged , see it's all about the matches ...and besides I know red is a favourite colour so I do not see what you are complaining about ''.

'' Have a care Pam , it sounds like your almost mouthing off to you master '' Eric fixed her with stern look but quickly dropped it , he only had himself to blame he had spoiled her as a fledgling , but she made up for that in loyalty and ability ...and truth be told he would never dare tell her how much she meant to him...there would be no living with her after that .

'' I trust you have made the final arrangements for the Halloween gathering yes ?'' Pam nodded '' Its all in hand master , I'm just waiting on the final word from Area three regarding borrowing some B+ donors , I couldn't drum up any around here , other than that it should be a good night .

'' Will we have to bother with any royal entanglements this year ? '' by entanglements Pam was referring to having to deal with King Felipe de Castro or his Pit-bull Victor Madden

''no thankfully they have both sent there regrets , so we will not be playing host to the King of Louisiana , Arkansas and Nevada '' Eric did not sound in the least bit perturbed about this , he may have sworn loyalty to this king after his brutal takeover of the state but he did not trust him at all , as long as he left him alone to run his area and was happy with the tithe he gave him the Vampire could rot for he cared , especially that maggot Madden , he barley deserved the title of Vampire .

Eric wanted to change the subject he disliked discussing the King or his minions it was first off dangerous to even voice such feelings , he was old enough to know walls have ears , and second it just put him in a bad mood .

'' Do you feel like telling me where you have been disappearing off to lately ? , my AMEX card bill has not gotten any worse than you usually do to it , so you cannot have been shopping all this time ? ''

Pam had not told Eric about her visits too Sookie yet , she was not hiding it but she was a little worried that if Eric pitched up unannounced at Sookie's house the little human would die of fright , she had brought Eric up a few times in conversation with Sookie and the look on her face was never good .

'' I've been running a lot lately I've missed the woods , and hunting in the club has been less that appealing we really must try and attract a higher class of blood bag '' Pam was being a little creative with truth but not out right lying she did run to Sookie's and they did walk in her woods , she was just leaving the Sookie Part out .

Eric seemed satisfied with this and simply grunted and returned to paper work regarding feeding and hunting requests from new vampires in the area

A sheriffs work was never done

A few nights later Pam was driving to Bon Temps to visit Sookie , she had some magazines that she thought were a bit more interesting than the ones she had seen in her room and did not want to have to run while carrying them , plus she had just paid $800.00 for a killer pair of Stuart weitzmans open toe electric pink pumps and there was no way she was getting mud on them .

Also driving gave her more time to think , immortality as she had often said could get boring so Vampires often took on projects to pass the time , pam suspected that's why a lot of Vampires chose to be makers , her project had now become Sookie , she was going to get her out of the house if it killed her...again .

Sookie was like a little diamond wrapped in a manky cloth , she should be brought out to shine , not couped up in bumsfuck vile her whole life , Glamour was out of the question so it had to be Sookie's choice . But this was a difficult problem to solve , it had to be done gently as pam did not want to upset her , it was still beyond her why but Pam now had great feeling for the girl , she still considered herself to be a Vampire Bitch from hell and still liked to snark with the best of them but there was no denying the soft spot she had for her little Angel .

Maybe it was because Pam had never been a maker and still felt unready for that step , so had filled the need to develop and mould something with Sookie instead of making a child , kind of like when Humans purchase little dogs when they don't want kids but feel the need to pet and dress something up .

Bribing her with material goods had failed , Sookie looked at most things from a need as a pose to want point of view , she valued knowledge or something her house required instead of cloths or gimmicks , Pam was still unsure just how long she had been up there all alone as Sookie was still cadgey with the details but from what she could put together it was a long time.

Hopefully that scum Burman could shed a little light on things but she wouldn't hold her breath she had little faith in him and could never understand why Eric kept him around

Pulling up sookies drive way Pam was thinking ''drive way'' was a generous word , the danm thing was so full of pot holes it felt like an off road track , She parked just in front of the old house and was just retrieving the magazines from the back when sookie came flying out with a look of shear glee on her face .

The little human stopped and started poking and touching the car examining every corner and peeking in through every window , Pam stood back with a bemused look on her face and just let her get on with it , eventually Sookie made her way round to the open back door and quickly climbed inside .

Pam was almost two hundred years old and had never in all that time felt more like slapping herself '' Sookie do you want to go for a drive ? '' the answer could not be this obvious could it ? .

'' Just a drive we wouldn't stop anyplace ? '' Sookie's face was fighting back and forth from excited to cautious but excited looked like it was winning

''Just a drive , I promise '' If Pam needed to breath she would have held her breath

''mmmm...Ok then '' and she quickly wiggled from the back seat to front side passenger

Pam Opened the driver's side door again and mumbled '' Live and learn I guess '' .


	11. Chapter 11

Anyone know how to increase the spacing between end of scene blocks? , I want to have just a few lines when the story changes to a different character or some time has paced but every time I put these in the draft I upload and they bunch back up when I publish!

This would hopefully make the story better to read as one line of dialogue from say Sookies house would fin and the next Eric would be speaking from his office and it takes the reader a min to realise what the hell happened

I have even tried using a line of astarix to break them up and these are also Del when I publish

Any help would be much appreciated


	12. Chapter 12

Pam was watching Sookie out her peripheral vision , the girl was literally bouncing in her seat and pushing every button she could reach , that is why the air con and the heater were on at the same time her window had made the journey up and down at least twelve times and also the rear screen wipers were wiring away

This was a little annoying to Pam but she ignored it , Sookie was actually out of the house and in a minute once they reached the end of her drive would be off the Stackhouse property in god knows how long , it was still in a car but she could appreciate the trust Sookie had placed in her to allow Pam to take her out like this

''How long has it been since you were in a car Sookie ? '' She was now sort of hanging her arms and a bit of her head out the window but she seemed to hear Pam and sat back up straight again

'' Not since I used to go to the warehouse my father ran his business out off , he would need to pick things up sometimes and he would take me along for the ride ...im not sure when that was but it was a long time ago , I used have a special seat in the back so I wouldn't slip under the belt ''

'' Your grandmother never had a car ? '' Pam was amused how much sookie seemed to be enjoying this and sensed it might be a good time to trawl for information while she was distracted '' No gran couldn't always see to well so she never drove , she always had every thing delivered , anyway she never had anyplace to go ''

'' Your father ran a business ? , what did he do ? '' Pam was taking them in the direction of Shreveport her plan was to skit the corners of town then head home she just needed to keep her talking

'' I cant remember all of it but he worked with wood a lot , I know he was a carpenter and I think he might have had other carpenters working for him , they made all sort of cool stuff like pretty bedside tables and fancy dinner chairs , he made me a rocking horse once when I was real little ...But Jason jumped on it and broke it ''

'' Jason was your brother yes ? ''

''Yeah he was older than me , but we ...'' Sookie seemed to sense she was talking to much about things she didn't want to remember and quickly shut up , they lapsed into a comfortable silence and Sookie was just happy to watch the world zip past

Pam understood she had gotten as much as she was going to get and left her to enjoy the ride , this would be her new plan if she could get Sookie to come out in the car , slowly she could get her used to the idea of..

The ride of the Valkyries broke Pam's train of thought, she didn't need to look at the caller display that ringtone was reserved for one person only ...of all the fucking times

Picking up her phone Pam flipped it open and spoke '' Yes ''

'' Pam I need you at the club ten minutes ago , something's come up and Chow is out on an errand ''

'' I'm...I'm doing something now master I can be there is say ..an hour or two ''

Pam would be pushing it , they were already on the out skirts of Shreveport , it would take at least an hour and a bit to get Sookie home and even if she abandoned her car and ran back it would still at least be forty five minutes or so to get back to Fangtasia

'' Pam I do not care what pretty blood bag you have you fingers inn I need you here NOW !''

Sookie was watching Pam's one way exchange on the phone with growing worry she could tell Pam's whole demeanour had changed and she didn't like it

'' I understand master I will see you in a moment '' Pam flipped her phone closed and , she turned to Sookie who was staring back intently '' Sookie ...I going to have to make a stop ''

Pam had barley finished the word stop and before Sookie spoke up obviously Panicked '' No no no ...no stops you said no stops it was just a drive , no stops take me home please ..please '' this was all said In a quick rush and Sookie was getting distressed

'' Sookie I swear to you I didn't know this was going to happen but my master has called me and I have to go ..I have no choice, I promise I will take you straight home after this ''

Master ?... Sookie thought about that for a second then joined the dots ''ERIC!...we're going to see ERIC! '' Sookie started panting and clawing at the door but the child locks were on and Pam thanked her lucky stars she thought of that one

'' Please take me home Pam please take me home ..I cant see Eric , I cant..I cant get out , please ''

Sookie was Sobbing now and still clawing at the window , Pam was forced to extended the one arm not on the wheel to hold her in place , in case she did actually get the door open because despite the fact they were doing 70mph she had no doubt Sookie would probably throw herself out if she got the chance

''SOOKIE LISTEN TO ME'' the sound of Pam shouting brought Sookie back to reality a little , Pam had never raised her voice to her before

'' Sookie I am your friend and if I could I would take you home right now i would...but I cant, this is what will happen I will park in front of the place I work and you will climb in the back seat you will not have to get out and you will not have to see Eric , I will attend whatever business Eric requires as quick as I can and then I will return and take you home ...this is the best I can do Sookie I am truly sorry but this is the best I can do ''

Sookie was still upset but a little calmer now '' You promise I don't have to get out ? ''

'' I promise Sookie ''

''...Your my friend ? '' Sookie said in a shaky voice, Pam relaxed her arm from across sookie's chest and instead took one of her hands '' Yes Sookie I am your friend ''

They drove the rest of the way in silence

**Outside Fangtasia**

Pam pulled up outside Fangtasia with a screech a few yards from the front door in her personnel space , cutting off the engine she turned to face a still shaking Sookie '' Jump in the back when I'm gone , I'm going to lock the doors , no one will bother you they all know who's car this is

Sookie assumed ''they'' were the truly odd looking assortment of people gathered out side the front door , they were queuing up or smoking or just ...doing what ever the hell it is they were doing but there thoughts were already starting to leak into Sookies mind

'' I will be as quick as I can '' and with that Pam slammed the door and blurred away , Sookie quickly clambered in the back and took refuge in the rear stairwell '' Bricks in a wall , bricks in a wall , bricks in a wall '' Sookie repeated her mantra over and over again , gran had told her to do this when she needed to block out people when she still went to school

It had been many years since she had needed to use it but it was helping a little '' Please hurry Pam '' Sookie cradled her head and rocked a little to try and calm down

**Inside Fangtasia  
**

Pam hurried into Eric's office eager to see where the fire was so she could put it out and get Sookie home before she had a complete melt down , it was fairly safe to assume that her ''going out for a drive '' plan was now shot to shit , she doubted Sookie would ever get in a car with her again

Opening the door and closing it again quickly behind her she addressed her master '' what's the situation ? ''

**Outside Fangtasia **

'' _**God damn it why cant I get a vamp to blow me I'd let them bite me !''**_

'' _**What a fucking slut she thinks she can take my man''**_

'' _**what the hell is that fat fuck doing in leather cant she see everyone is making fun of her''**_

Sookie was squinting hard trying to block out the thoughts but it had been so long so many years since she had too , they were slipping inn more and more , every time she would block one mind an another would take its place , this place was crawling with people and some were very loud broadcasters , these were the minds that were driven by negative emotions , jealousy , pride , hate ...a lot of hate ...there was a mind out there that was screaming HATE

'' _**FUCKING FANGERS , they kill my friends and think there going to walk away kill my FUCKING BROTHER , il show the fucking lot of them , there all gonna die and I'm gonna dance on there GOD damn ashes ''  
**_

This one mind was impossible to block it was charged up beyond anything Sookie had felt before , it was filled with murder and rage , Sookie couldn't stay out she was sucked in and played out the drama he was reliving with him , A wolf running through a Forrest ...but it wasn't a wolf it was a man? , the man begging an older stronger wolf who was also a man to help him get revenge for his brothers death ...to get revenge on the bitch Vamp ...to get revenge on Pam

The older wolf refused , told him no , the older wolf fought with the man who was also a wolf and bit his ear made the other man/wolfs watch , told the man filled with hate he must not challenge the older wolf and leave the vampires alone

But the wolf filled with hate ..no the man filled with hate he did not listen , went to wear he worked , a construction company ,took things there , Sookie cant understand the words ...'' Composition B '' Nitroglycerin caps '' but can see what they mean to the wolf man

Now he's stealing something ...silver he's stealing lots of silver , melting it down breaking it up , silver chains , silver rings , silver knives , silver forks , so much silver

Wrapping it all up in a big chest in the back of a van , a van he stole , a van he just parked next to Pam's car .

Sookie bit down on her own lip so hard it drew blood and squeezed tears through tightly shut eyes

''Please Pam '' Sookie begged but there was no one to hear her


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all again **

**Thanks to all who took the time to review or even just the time to read . There were lots of nice comments and lots of good feedback**

**Some readers have raised the point of my Spelling and grammar again and once more I can only apologise for this , I admit I have always had an issue with this , will try and slow things down a little to maybe get a friend to proof read for me and work on it more myself , I hope this is not impacting your reading pleasure too much**

**Cheers to every body who answered my call for help ref the block breaks , one good suggestion was bold title's for a new scene and that I think is a pretty good way so am going with that **

**One thing I have to stress as some people have messaged me about it is Sookie in my story is ****NOT **

**Retarded or suffering from learning difficulties she has just not been exposed to outside influence that much due to her Telepathy and death of her Family , I see her in my head as a very gifted girl with something close to eidetic memory , I want to show her mature through contact with the Vampires and other characters and Eric will deff be one of those **

**On with the show **

**( Inside Eric's office )**

'' A traitor...the were's say we have a traitor her at Fangtasia ? '' Pam sounded incredulous

'' That is what the message said yes , I'm not sure who the message was from but they knew about the incident with you , and the ruckus we had with the Cold river Pack '' Eric was sat at his desk leant back in his chair , but while his posture may have been relaxed his mind was another matter , betrayal was not something he took lightly , he would need more than the word from an anonymous mangy Wolf but he could not ignore the possibility , this was the reason he had called Pam if there was indeed something going on he wanted his most loyal and skilled fighter and tactician and that was Pam .

'' The message stated they would contact us again tonight and provide further information and set a price if the information was worth it '' The Viking had no intension of paying for anything but he would negotiate for the information , while ruthless he was reasonable .

Pam Perched on the edge of her masters desk and tapped her hand lightly on her knee over and over again , this was a habit when she was in deep thought and had been even when she was alive ''I just can't see anyone here selling us out , it wouldn't make any sense , everyone knows what you do to traitors it would be suicide '' .

Eric nodded solemnly but also frowned '' Never underestimate the stupidity of greed , or the abilities of individuals to overestimate themselves , but we shall see what the so called contact has to say ...I trust the basement is ready for a new guest should this somehow turn out to be true ? ''

Pam Grinned evilly flashing extended fangs '' Oh yes , very ready '' .

**( Out side Fangtasia ) **

'' _**Just a few more minutes and this baby will be all set to go , wont be enough of this fucking place to fill a doggy bag, damn need to get this timer set up just right , don't want to be anyplace near this baby when it go's ...damn I'm scared what if I get caught...no.. shit ..ive got to do this i owe Mark , i owe that bitch and big blond freak! ''.**_

Sookie was still huddled in her hiding spot in the back seat of Pam's car whimpering , Pam was taking a long time to come back , if what was in his head was true everything in this area including Pam's car and Fangtasia were all going to be destroyed or at least badly damaged .

What was she supposed to do ? .

She could run away, there were less minds leading away from the building she could run and keep on running ...she might even be able to find her way home

But what about Pam ? .

Sookie had wanted a friend for years and now she had one could she really just leave , and what about all these people , they didn't deserve to die , but could she really go inside that place ? .

Sookie gritted her teeth , keeping her eyes closed she fumbled for the door handle but it was locked , poking and prodding the handle she finally heard a click , pulling the handle outwards the door swung open . Sookie crawled out crouching by the side of the car she drew in a series of deep breaths and readied herself to break into a run ...but what way to run.

Fists balled Sookie jumped up and dashed towards the front door of fangtasia her white summer dress flapping behind her , when she reached the line of people she didn't stop and barged passed them knocking one women over and shoving the man taking money aside , she had surprised everyone enough that they didn't immediately react and Sookie had not hung around long enough for anyone to grab her .

Once inside it felt like some one had dumped ice water on the panicked girl _**'' Need to drink some mor..'' **_

'' _**Last frat party i ever ..'' '' Come on dance with me you bit..'' '' He is hot as fuck , wheres the big blo..'' **_

Thoughts slammed into Sookie's mind and swirled round and round , she desperately tried to ignore them as a pose to block them as she scanned the crowd for Pam , there was a void behind the bar but that wasn't her , a second void was in the corner but as she ran over pushing passed people as she went she saw it was a black haired women dancing back and forth in a blurry kind of fashion .

Needless to say the blond girl in white manically running around a sea of black drew some attention but such was the frantic nature of her movements the bouncer attempting to corner her was having trouble getting a hold .

Sookie felt some more voids in the back of the club , even over the loud thumping music Sookie could hear that somebody was yelling at her but they weren't Pam so she was ignoring them .

Seeing the open doorway by the stage she darted for it , following the trail of the blank minds praying one of them would be her friend , once in the corridor she carried on past the first two doors one hand minds she could hear inside and the other had no minds at all .

Eventually reaching the last door she could feel the black spaces and knew this was the one

'' Hey get back here you crazy bitch ! ''

The bouncer from the front door had managed to catch up with her but not before Sookie grabbed the handle and shoved the door open .

Pam was on the phone talking to Chow when the door burst wide and a terrified Disheveled looking Sookie shot into the room

''PAMTHERESAMANOUTSIDE WHOS TURNSINTO AWOLF AND HEHAS ABOMB ANDWEHAVETOLEAVE''

Pam just stared and blinked at Sookie for a second her brain filtering what she she had just said in one long breath.

'' Sookie what ? '' Before Pam could finish Sookie was grabbed from behind round the waist and lifted off her feet Screaming all the way , Pam moved towards them to assist sookie but before she could there was a ''whoosh'' and Eric had shoved the bouncer out of the room with one hand and scooped Sookie up with the other .

Turning her to face him and gripping her by the shoulders Eric barked at her '' What Wolf and what Bomb ? ''

Sookie froze ...it was Eric

''Speak ! ''

Before Eric could say anything else Pam appeared next to the terrified girl and placed her hand on Sookie's shoulder ''What are you talking about Sookie ? '' she asked softly

Never taking her eyes off Eric but speaking to Pam, Sookie repeated a little slower '' There's a man outside who can turn into a wolf and he has a bomb...we have to leave '' .

'' where is the bomb sookie ? '' Pam asked before Eric did as she could see Sookie was probably close to breaking point .

'' It's in a blue van parked next to your car the man..wolf ..is in the back , he has lots and lots of silver ...please Pam I want to go home '' Sookie crying tears of panic , fear , and frustration now she just wanted to be in her little corner in her room .

Eric dropped his hands from Sookie and commanded Pam to follow him as he blurred out of the room

''Sookie stay here , whatever you do stay in this room '' and then Pam was gone as well .

Sookie stood trembling in the middle of the office for what seemed like ages but was more along the lines of about ten minutes

From outside Sookie could hear banging and a bit of shouting , the drone of the music had stopped she was scared for her friend and really wished Pam would come back...but not Eric .

Unfortunately Eric was exactly who came through the door , Pam following a close second behind him , she looked a little ruffled with a few hairs out of place but she was ok , Sookie had been about to breathe a sigh of relief until she saw the look in Eric's eyes as he approached her ...She had seen that look before and it had not ended well for her .

'' Explain '' Eric ground out the word as he continued to back sookie towards the rear office wall

''Master i ...''

''SILENCE'' Sookie jumped and Eric turned to fix Pam with a steely look

Turning back to sookie who was now backed completely against the wall, Eric again asked with the same dangerous tone

''Explain ''

Eric was now directly in front of her looking down, Sookie was forced to Crain her neck up to keep eye contact

'' I...I...'' Sookie was struck mute and desperately wished he wasn't so large then she might be able to turn her head a bit to see Pam , but all she could see was a very large , very dangerous looking Eric looming over her

'' Explain how you knew about the bomb ''

''Explain how you knew about the silver ''

''Explain how you knew he was a Were ''

Each demand had gotten louder till Eric was shouting down at her , Sookie couldn't take any more the Drive , Stopping here , Crazy hateful Wolf men , all the voices in the club...and now super scary Eric yelling at her again , maybe about to hurt her again and she couldn't see Pam!

Sookie wanted to be home , she wanted her bedroom and all the safety comfort and familiarity that they entailed , Shutting her eyes closed as hard as she could behind her glasses she chanted in her head over and over again ...she wanted to go home

There was a fizzle and then a POP ...and when Sookie opened her eyes again that's where she was .


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh well on with the show** .

Eric stared at the now empty space that Sookie had just seconds ago occupied, one moment she was there and the next she wasn't ? .

Spinning round he surveyed the room trying to locate her again but she really was gone

'' PAM...that was the girl who sheltered you wasn't it , did you know about this ? '' Eric waved his hand in the space where Sookie had just been .

Pam was still in shock that her little angel had just upped and vanished in front of there eyes but quickly got herself together to address her master '' No Eric ...I knew there might be something different about her , the way she smelled , the way she acted but nothing like this ''.

Eric studied his child for a moment he would never believe she would lie to him but the human...or maybe not human had seemed awfully friendly with her

'' Did you bring her here ? ''

'' Yes we were driving when I received you call I left her in the car to wait for my return ''

'' Very well first things first , follow me '' Eric stalked out of his office through the corridor , and opened the door to the basement , walking quickly down the steps he slowed as he came to the far end of the room .

The were was strapped to a metal chair with thick rope and his head was lolling forward , Blood dripped from his mouth as Eric yanked his head back by his hair to meet his eyes '' Who are you and who sent you '' Eric spat .

The were groaned and his eyes rolled back in his head , Eric shook him again still clinging to a fist full of his hair '' Wake up you maggot ! '' .

The were snapped out of his daze and looked fearfully up at his tormentor '' No...no one sent me I'm here to do what they wont '' He spoke in a drunken tone still half in half out of conscious

''Who the fuck is they , speak sense dog ''

'' My god damn so called pack ...your bitch killed my brother...killed my friends and they were going to do nothing...I wanted to kill you all , make you pay for what you've done , but they wouldn't let me , told me to drop it , FUCKING DROP IT! .

Eric smirked '' So you sent me a fake message to meet you here knowing i would also have my Child here and then set off your little Bomb...you are a coward and you will receive a cowards death '' .

Pam appeared next to Eric swung back her hand in a bowling motion and brought it forward in a blur grabbing hold of a good portion of the were's crotch , squeezing till there was audible crack and then a sloshing noise

The were howled in agony and jerked in his chair frantic to get away for the pain , Pam would however not release him .

'' THERE WAS A GIRL OUTSIDE DID YOU SPEAK TO HER DID YOU TOUCH HER! ''

Pam's voice was a roar and a banshee's scream rolled into one , if this scum had touched Sookie she would shove in his mouth what she had just ripped from his body

'' OHHH GOD I NEVER SAW NO GIRL , LET ME GO '' His voice was almost as high as a boiling kettle , but both vampires could sense no lie in this , he was telling the truth .

Releasing her grip Pam wiped her hand on the were's denim jacket in disgust and turned away with her arms crossed

'' Rest assured what you have just lost is going to seem like the sweetest of dreams by the end of this night , you come to my domain to attack my child , attack those under my protection , you will wish your weak willed Pack master had taken you down before I am done with you

Stepping back Eric cocked a leg and kicked the were in the chest sending him rocketing back into the wall with a crash and thud , the chair collapsed onto the floor and the Viking sneered down at the now unconscious were as his bowels and bladder released all over himself and the concrete floor .

Pam had already left the cellar and was downing a true blood in Eric's office by the time he got there , she was pacing back and forth to calm herself

Eric watched her for a moment before he spoke '' You realise of course if he did not speak to the girl and there is no way she could have seen him in the back of a windowless van , it begs the question ...how did she know , how did she even know he was a were , not to mention that fairly impressive disappearing act ...I've never seen anything like that before and in my thousand years I thought I had seen everything...what is she ? '' .

Pam stopped pacing and tossed the bottle of true blood into the waste bin without looking at it

'' I don't know Sookie is ..''

''Sookie ...That is her name ? '' Eric quirked an eyebrow , he had never met a Sookie before

Pam nodded and continued '' Sookie is no were , she smells sweet not like wet dog , there is no way she could be involved in this , this is the first time she has even left her house in years as far as I know '' .

Eric tilted his head a little at that '' And why would that be ? ''

Pam nodded again more slowly this time '' That is something of a long story ''

Eric walked round his desk and sat down , hefting his heavy biker boots up on the desk he leant back

'' Then by all means Pam...Tell it '' .


	15. Chapter 15

Sookie sat in her favourite little corner between the dresser and the wall contemplating the trouble she was in , there would be no clever excuses this time no hiding , she had shown Eric and more painfully Pam that she was a freak , only once before had she ever moved from once place to another like that and the last time she had only been ten .

Gran had to go visit her sister , aunt Rose was dying and she had to see her one last time , she hadn't wanted to leave Sookie but the little girl could hear in her mind how much her grandmother wanted to see her sister , Sookie couldn't go with her she wasn't supposed to be alive anymore , after promising to stay in the house and wait till gran got back Sookie had played in her room till it got dark .

But the dark had always scared Sookie she didn't like being on her own , she ran to her grans room to feel some comfort but the sight of it standing empty just made her feel worse , making her way down stairs she wandered around the house trying to find something to occupy her mind until gran came home , but there was nothing , the empty house that had always felt safe to the little girl but now it felt cold and hostile , she turned on all the lights but that didn't help ether .

Sookie sat on the couch hugging her Elephant and wished harder and harder that gran would come back , she was startled by the sound of banging coming from upstairs , she froze in terror imagining all the monsters and dark things that might be upstairs coming to take her away .

The little girl couldn't know one of the storm shutters for an upstairs window had come loose and was flapping against the side of the house in the wind , to her it was something terrible making its way down stairs to get her .

Grabbing her little pink plastic torch her mother had bought her for when she got scared of the dark she ran out of the house to find her gran , of course her gran was miles away but this didn't matter to the small child , she had to find her , if gran was there she wouldn't have to worry about monsters or anything her gran always protected her no matter what.

Running as fast as her little legs would carry her she made her was down the drive , but it was dark and her torch only let her see so far so soon...she was lost .

Sookie wandered for hours in the woods trying to find the road , she was scared before but now she was frantic , every shadow held something horrible , low braches were clawed hands snatching at her , roots in the ground were great snakes trying to trip her so they could swallow her whole , soon she couldn't run anymore .. her little torch had faded and gone out and she was so tired , huddling in a clearing she begged for the sun to come up or for her gran to find her for anybody to find her.

Soon the cold started to bite at her and the shadows were moving in all around , she couldn't move anymore she to scared the monsters would see , hugging her legs too herself all she could think of was going home , she wanted to go home

And then... that's were she was , opening her eyes she was back in her room , dirty and wet but back once more and she could hear gran shouting her name over and over again , charging out of the door she ran downstairs and found her gran desperately searching under tables and anywhere else she thought the little girl might be

And with a flying leap she was in her grans arms , gripping on to her neck for dear life and crying so hard she could barely breath , her gran squeezed her back as hard as possible and cried with her

Gran promised to never leave her alone again and until the day she died she never did

That seemed so very long ago now to Sookie , and this time gran was not there to hug her and tell her it was alright , now she was alone and she had no idea what the vampires would do to her when they got there , and she knew they would be here soon

And just as she thought that...her bedroom door opened


	16. Chapter 16

**I know this is a long one but could not think of a way to break up the scene with spoiling the mood**

Pam found herself for the second time that night parking in front of Sookies modest old home , Eric was sat beside her taking in the surroundings , he had not taken the time to really look at the place last time he was here her had more pressing concerns on his mind.

They both exited the vehicle nether making any noise as to startle there target , Eric had pretty much insisted he accompany Pam to confront the little human , Pam had suggested she go on her own but Eric's word was as usual final .

Pam was unsure how Sookie would react to Eric's presence ...well that was not true she had a very good idea how she would react and it would most likely not be good .

Both Standing on the front Porch Eric leant with his back against one of the porch Posts '' I want you to get her to invite me in before you start to question her , is that understood ''

'' Are you sure it would not be best for me to talk to her fist master , she trusts me and ...well she is scared of you ''

''No I wish to be present '' Eric's tone indicated the discussion was over .

Pam nodded and opened the front door , it was not locked which was not a great surprise , Pam had learnt Sookie was so unused to any one on her property she did not always secure the doors and windows , and they had left for their little drive earlier tonight fairly quickly .

The downstairs level was empty and quite but Pam already had a good idea of where she would be , Silently ascending the stairs she came to a stop outside Sookie's bedroom door , Pam paused for a moment to gather herself , she dearly hoped Sookie would cooperate she would hate to have to force her outside if she would not invite Eric in or refuse to answer any questions .

Slowly opening the door she could smell Sookie straight away and she could tell she had been crying

Closing the door behind her Pam made her way round the bed and then sat down on it facing the window . The bundle of blankets wedged in-between the wall shifted a little and of course Pam could hear Sookie's heart beating away .

Pam sat for a moment before speaking '' Sookie ...I need to talk to you '' ...Silence... the bundle did not answer or move

Pam tried again '' Sookie please come out I really need to talk to you '' More silence , Pam puffed out an unsure breath before approaching the bundle and gently sliding down the wall herself , her back pressed against it . Once she was settled she pinched a piece of the blanket and gently but firmly started to pull it down , there was a little resistance but Pam could tell Sookie let her take the last few inches .

And there was sookie ...head bowed and legs tucked into her chest she did not look up to greet Pam but she did speak in a small voice '' Hi Pam ''

Pam reached out to stroke the top of Sookie's head '' Hi Sookie ''

'' Sookie I would rather not talk to the top of your head , could you look at me please ? '' Pam was deliberately keeping her voice soft and unthreatening like you would for a skittish horse.

Sookie thought about this for a moment before dedeciding she would have to face the music anyway so why not , tilting her head up she brought herself to look at her now probably former friend .

Pam gave her a little smile in way of a thank you and had been about to begin speaking but Sookie beat her too it , Talking in a trembley small voice Pam would most likely have been unable to hear if it had not been for her advanced senses '' I'm sorry.. Pam , I didn't mean it...I'm sorry '' sookie's lip trembled and Pam really didn't want her to start crying again it would make everything that much harder the more worked up sookie got .

Now Pamela Ann Ravencroft even when she was alive had never been described as a maternal girl or touchy feely for that matter , and after her being made Vampire that was almost doubly the case . She touched when she fed or when she fucked ...or when she was doing something fairly unspeakable to someone .

Nor would she be described as a particularly compassionate individual , she had less than two hours ago torn a man's testicles from his body and had already forgotten about it . In her younger days Eric who himself was often known for his temper and violent streak had been called apon to restrain her more than once.

In one instance Pam had ripped another women's arm off for a poorly placed comment regarding her favourite corset , Eric had been furious and they were forced to glamour an entire tavern of humans.

So what she did next would have surprised a lot of humans and vampires alike including her maker and in fact even surprised herself .

Reaching out she took hold of Sookie's arm and pulled with force enough to unseat the scared girl from her corner but not harm her , Sookie for a split second fought but quickly gave up , Pam still sitting turned her around and despite their fairly equal size settled Sookie in her lap . Sookie was stiff for a minute but quickly melted into the embrace and hid her face in the Crook of Pam's neck , Pam stroked Sookie's back in what she hoped was a soothing manner .

Sookie pretty much surrendered straight away , she was desperate for comfort even if the source of her comfort was also a little the source of her fear , she didn't care she wanted to be held.

After about five minutes Pam could hear Sookie's heart had slowed and her breathing was normal , also a good sign was she could feel Sookie had begun twirling a strand of Pam's hair round her finger over and over again before letting it fall against her neck once more , the sensation tickled a little, Pam smiled .

'' Sookie I need to talk a little to you about what happened tonight ...I'm not mad or angry ...do you know you probably saved my life again tonight little angel ? ''

Sookie sniffed a little '' Angel ? ''

Pam eased her back a bit so she could see her face and used a portion of her own sleeve to wipe away the dried tears from her cheeks careful not to touch her glasses , the last tear she wiped with her thumb and popped it into her mouth .

Sookie wrinkled her nose at this '' Ewwww..''

Pam laughed and after a second Sookie started to giggle as well , she was still snuffling a little but it felt like a great weight was lifted from the girls shoulders .

'' Before I knew what to call you , I called you my little angel...it seemed to fit you , that's what I thought you were when I first saw you by the tree ''

'' You don't think I'm an angel anymore ? '' sookie was curious , no one had ever called that before

'' No I just think your a bit special ...and that's what I need to talk about , but I don't want to do it here , will you come downstairs with me ? ''.

Sookie thought this over for a moment before nodding and slowly wiggling out of Pam's lap . Pam gracefully got to her own feet and led Sookie by the hand towards the bedroom door .

Once they were both on the landing at the top of the stairs Pam thought this was as good a time as ever to drop her little bomb . Gripping sookie's hand a little tighter in case she tried to flee she turned to face her '' Sookie...Eric is downstairs '' .

The reaction was instantaneous and Sookie attempted to fly back to her room but Pam would not allow her '' No no no no no ..please I don't want to talk to Eric please ''.

Pam let Sookie thrash a little before trying to calm her '' Sookie he will not harm you or shout at you , I promise '' Pam knew Eric would have been listening to their entire conversation so far and hoped he took the hint to keep things light when he was eventually admitted to the house.

''No no he always shouts at me, I don't want to talk to him , why cant I talk to you ? ''

'' Sookie Eric has promised he will not shout at you or hurt you , and Eric never breaks his word , not in two hundred years have I seen him break a promise ...you trust me yes ? ''

Sookie swayed a little but eventually replied '' yes ...yes I trust you ''

'' And I trust Eric , so trust me and trust what I tell you is true '' Pam slowly let go of her hand and waited to see if she would run , when she didn't Pam began down the stairs , Sookie followed at a much slower pace .

Eric stood in the front door way and in keeping with what he had heard his child say he attempted to make himself as unthreatening as possible , but being unthreatening when you over six foot and built like a barn door is a little difficult .

Eric could see what Pam was trying to do and if it got him invited inside he would go along , she had been a little economical with the truth , after Pam had asked him not to hurt Sookie he had promised not to hurt as long as she was no threat to area five or himself and Pam ...if she was a threat they would have to cross that bridge when they came to it .

Pam lead sookie to sit on the couch and took the seat next to her but giving her a little room.

'' Sookie you have to invite Eric to come in '' Pam rubbed her shoulder a little to reassure her.

Keeping her eyes on the floor Sookie whispered ''Come in Eric ''.

The barrier keeping him out gone , Eric stepped into the house and looked around little taking in the room , he kept his movements slow and deliberately took a seat that put the most distance between him and the girl who was obviously terrified of him . Settling his great bulk down on the worn flower pattern couch he lent forward resting his elbows on his knees .

'' Hello again Sookie ''

Sookie mumbled something so low even the vampires couldn't hear it but he guessed it was a greeting of some sort .

'' Sookie I want to ask you some questions and its important you answer me truthfully and to the best of you ability, do you understand this ? ''

Sookie nodded but didn't lift her gaze from the floor , Eric was partially satisfied with this and began

'' Sookie how did you know what the man at Fangtasia was going to do tonight ? ''.

Sookie was silent for a moment before whispering '' I heard him ''.

Eric frowned and was about too point out she had promised to be truthful when she added .

'' I heard what he was thinking '' Pam sat up a little straighter in her chair and looked at Eric whose eyebrows had shot up .

'' You can hear what people think ? '' Eric asked a little disbelieving .

Sookie nodded again , Eric mulled this over silently , it would make sense ...it did answer a lot of questions like how she knew he was a were and about all the silver they had indeed found strapped to the rather large bomb . A bomb that if it had gone off would have levelled at least half if not all of Fangtasia and fired red hot silver shrapnel in every direction like a massive claymore mine .

But gratitude would not save the girl if she answered this next question in the affirmative.

'' Sookie can you hear my thoughts , can you hear Pam's ? '' Pam stiffened even more and felt a little sick , if sookie said yes...

'' No I couldn't hear Pam when I first saw her , that's how I knew she was different , and then when I ..met... you I couldn't hear you ether , I couldn't hear any of the other Vampires at the club tonight so I guess I cant do them , I know your there its just like a little black hole , no thought no images ''.

Pam let a breath and unclenched her hands , Eric shot her a look, he could smell the blood Pam had drawn digging her nails into her palm , he stored that away to think about later .

Before Eric could continue Pam interrupted much to his annoyance .

'' Sookie is that why you never leave the house , why you stay here all the time ?''.

Sookie looked up to face Pam again to Eric's annoyance as the girl had yet to actually look at him .

'' Its hurts ..if there are to many minds ...they all mix into together and its like this great roar , I cant think ...it hurts me ''.

Sookie looked at the floor again , she wasn't used to talking about her disability it felt a little strange.

'' Pam '' Sookie spoke the vampires' name but didn't say anything else .

Curious Pam reapplied to the girl '' Yes Sookie ? ''.

The little human seemed to struggle with what she wanted to ask before she just came out with it .

''Do you think I'm a freak now ? '' The question threw Pam for a moment , she hadn't expected anything like that , scooting a little closer to Sookie she tucked a bit of her hair behind the girls ear .

'' No Sookie I don't think your a freak ...just different, why would I think you're a freak for being different ...is this what other people have said '' Pam frowned, a lot of things were starting to make sense about her angel now .

'' The children at school called me a freak , they called me crazy sookie , I couldn't block them all out all the time so I said things they were thinking , they hated my glasses ...they were afraid of me ''.

Eric had been about to get them back on track but again Pam cut him off and now he was pissed but he kept silent , he would remind Pam who was in charge later but if he startled the girl now they would have to start over again .

Pam could feel Eric's annoyance but Sookie how seemed willing to answer just about any question and Pam had week's worth to ask , she would deal with Eric later.

'' What about your parents Sookie where they like you , could they do the things you can do ? ''.

'' No ...no it was always just me , Jason was normal , Mamma was normal so was Dad , they didn't know why I was like this but ...I could see in there heads they were a little scared on me ...they did love me , but...they were scared as well .

Sookie sniffed a little she did not want to cry anymore tonight her eyes already felt dry and sticky but it was hard , she hadn't talked about this with anyone before even gran , deciding to go all in she wanted to tell them everything...if they wanted to hurt her after that then that's just how it had to be.

'' I was born in this house '' Sookie looked up and around at the old walls ( but not Eric ) and ghosted a smile .

'' Mamma was staying with gran when dad was away , he was at a job in Bojer , Jason was here as well. I wasn't supposed to come for a couple of days but I started to come out anyway , Gran told me she had to lay mamma up on the dining room table , and when I came out ...I...was glowing ..., gran said I was glowing like a little ball of sunshine '' Sookie smiled sadly at the thought of the way her gran used to tell her this story '' She said I was real quiet and I didn't cry , just sort of looked around and glowed with white light , then I stopped glowing and I started to cry ''.

The little human hugged herself and carried on '' I never knew why I was like I am , I never wanted to be different ...I just wanted to be like everybody else . When I was real little I couldn't tell the difference from what people said and what people thought at all , mamma and dad took me to all kinds of doctors , they said it was all in my head and may be I should be in a special place for people who were not right , but they said no ...they wanted to protect me they just didn't know how ''.

'' What happened to them Sookie ? '' Pam gently asked , Eric didn't feel like interrupting this time , he wanted to know how this turned out as well .

'' Jason wanted to go too the movies in Monroe for his birthday , but I couldn't go , I didn't like places with lots of people , they made me scared and I wouldn't know what to do . All the voices I couldn't block them out , I didn't want to spoil Jason's birthday ...he didn't like me sometimes , I could hear him wishing id never been born so the kids at school wouldn't tease him about having a crazy sister , so I told Mamma I was sick so they could take Jason anyway , so he wouldn't be mad at me ''.

Sookie couldn't stop the silent tears rolling down her face , she had tried not to blink but they just welled up anyway '' There was a real bad accident on the way there , it had been raining hard and the bridge...the bridge collapsed , the car went into the river ..and ...and they all died '' Sookie choked out the last part and folded in on herself .

Pam wanted to try and comfort her again like she had done upstairs but she wasn't ready for Eric so see her do something like that , no yet anyway .

Sookie sniffled and carried on with her sad little tale , she couldn't stop now she didn't want to have to talk about this again .

'' When the police came to grans house to tell her about the accident , she lied and said I was with them as well , gran was always real smart , she was afraid they would take me away from her , that they would put me in the place my parents had said no to , and she was old as well . I couldn't stand to be put someplace like that I wanted to stay with my gran , even before I always liked her the best , she was never scared of me she said god made me the way I was and that god always did things for a reason ''.

'' The police never said nothing about it , they said it was a few days before they ...they found Jason so I must have been swept away '' Sookie really wished Pam would hold her like she had done upstairs but she didn't want to ask , she still wasn't sure if Pam thought she still wanted to be friends anymore .

'' How old were you Sookie ...when they died ? '' .

Sookie turned to face Pam again '' I think I was eight, I remember Mamma helped me to bake a cake for my birthday , and there were eight candles ''.

Eric got in this time before anyone else '' so your Grandmother simply hid you, do humans not require there young to attend school? ''.

Sookie still didn't want to look at Eric but at least he wasn't shouting at her so she answered his question looking at her hands '' I never liked school like I said the kids were mean to me , and I could hardly learn anything for all the noise , gran got me the same books they used and we had school in the garden it was great . I could read much better without the thoughts , I could hear gran but she always thought nice things about me like how smart I was or pretty I was ...or that she loved me '' .

Sookie couldn't bear it anymore she didn't care if she wasn't supposed too , Pam was still close from when she had moved so Sookie fumbled without looking and found Pam's Hand and squeezed it , for a second she was worried but then Pam squeezed it back and Sookie could have grinned she was so happy .

This gesture was not lost on Eric and he was going to have a talk with Pam about this later , but seeing as they had got most of the story they might as well get the rest before he brought up what was now on his mind , mainly her little disappearing trick and did she have anything else up her sleeve besides Telepathy .

''And you gran sookie ...what happened ?'' .

This had been the part she was afraid they were going to ask next , this was the reason she had wanted Pam's hand '' We were happy...just me and her , gran didn't have any real friends and after Auntie Rose died we were both the only family we had , when anyone came over I hid , she would teach me stuff like sewing and cooking , we would grow things in the garden to eat and make oils from flowers...I loved it , she was my whole world and that was more than enough for me ''.

Sookie squeezed Pam's hand a bit harder for the next bit '' One day we were in the garden and I was making daisy chains , gran had shown me how and I wanted to make a real big one I could wrap round myself , gran was planting some carrots she always said they were the best for winter stews...and then...she fell over...I thought she was playing a funny game , so I laughed and ran over , I knew any minute she'd jump up and scare me but...she didn't ...after a while I begged her to get up , I didn't know why she was asleep in the garden , I called her name over and over again but she ...she wouldn't wake up '' Sookie had hung her head even lower and was unconsciously rocking back and forth .

'' How old were you then Sookie ? '' Eric had leaned further forward , even the smell of her tears was a little different ? .

Sookie answered without changing her doubled over position and didn't stop her rocking '' Thirteen'' She rasped .

'' You've been here..alone here for seven years ? '' Eric was impressed he knew humans normally required the company of there own kind , the girl was clearly a little stunted due to her forced isolation but to have survived from a very young age all alone was still an impressive feat .

Pam was worried , she knew Eric had more questions but she was not sure how much more of this Sookie could take , she had already laid bare her particularly tragic life and was not sure if she was now up to discussing anymore of her so called abilities . She knew she might have to pay for this as well as some other of her actions tonight but it would be worth it .

'' Master perhaps we could ask Sookie the rest another night ? '' Eric fixed her with a long hard gaze , he wanted to ask some more but maybe his child was correct , he had no desire to break what may turn out to a valuable asset and with out Pam's help he may not get anymore out of the human tonight . Glamour was always a back up but if the girl had not gone any where for seven years then she was unlikely to disappear now .

Standing he walked to the door and tuned around to face them '' Sookie I will need to ask you some more questions soon , I hope you will be up to that '' Eric said this looking at Pam as he wanted her to understand this was not over , and seeing as the girl was still looking into her lap there was not much point facing her . Sparing one last look at the tiny light golden brown hand entwined with the pale white one he took his leave .

Pam wasn't sure what to say next so she didn't say anything , standing up she let go of Sookie's hand and before Sookie could complain she scooped her up with ease and walked them both up stairs , positioning her on her bed Pam retrieved her blankets form the corner and placed them over her , Pam smiled a little at the role reversal that it was now her tucking Sookie in as she had done for her.

When Pam tucked the covers in around her neck Sookie's hand shot out and claimed hers again , thinking about the possible reaction if she pulled it free instead Pam again for the second time tonight did something fairly uncharacteristic.

Sookie shifted a little to allow Pam to crawl into bed with her but as soon as Pam was settled Sookie was on her in an instant snuggling into her side, Pam stroked Sookies arm lightly as she had yet to let go of her hand .

After a time the little Angels breathing got deeper and shallow as she drifted off to sleep but Pam remained not wanting to wake her, it wasn't until the last possible moment as dawn approached that she gently separated herself from a deeply slumbering Sookie and tucked her back in again.

Placing a kiss on Sookie check Pam silently exited the house.


	17. Chapter 17

Sunlight shining through open curtains raised Sookie from her slumber she rolled over in frustration to escape the annoying rays . Last night had been draining in more ways than one , she felt like sleeping inn

She should of course expected Pam to be gone but was still a little sad to find her missing when she awoke but took heart in that Pam would not have stayed to comfort her last night if she dint want to be friends any more.

Her happy thoughts were ruined when to recalled Eric's final words , she would have to see him again ...maybe tonight .

She wanted Pam around as long as possible she was really nice and she didn't want to go back to being on her own again , but Eric was scary .

He hadn't shouted at her or hurt her like Pam had promised but in her mind that just made her trust Pam more that she had kept her promise to keep her safe from Eric .

Damn it she just couldn't win , she had a friend now that she liked and liked her in return and some big scary mean jerk was going to ruin it all

If she invited Pam to come live with her instead of Eric...did they live together , anyway if she invited Pam to come stay here would Eric leave them alone ? .

Ok maybe that was not going to happen but she would have to see how it played out . If she had to answer a few more of big stupid Eric's big stupid questions maybe he would leave her alone and it could go back to the way it was before with Pam coming to her visit her and just hanging out . Pam had introduced her to that word...hanging out ..she loved it and was trying to use it as much as possible

Finally tired of trying to dodge the sun's rays she slumped out of bed yawning and stretching and clicking her neck a little . In the bathroom she sang a happy little tune and washed herself squeaky clean but was a little annoyed she had no flower oil left . That's what she would do today she would make some more , she could make some for Pam as well while she was at it

Sniffing her white sun dress she decided it probably needed a wash so she went with her brown skirt and blue cardigan top combo today , a quick breakfast of porridge oats and coffee and Sookie felt ready for the day

Strolling out side wicker basket in hand she set off into the woods to gather wild flowers , after a stressful last night she was ready for a happy day !

**(Pam and Eric's Nest )**

Eric stood under the hot sprays of his multi directional shower and revelled in the warmth and refreshing feeling , humans would list things like Space travel , splitting the atom and world economics as some of there greatest achievements but for Eric it had to be indoor plumbing.

Maybe it was because he still recalled the days when in the morning what you had to look forward too was plunging your half asleep body into a partially frozen stream .

Humans today ...they were spoilt .

Throwing on his favoured black t-shirt , black Jeans combo he popped the lid of a true blood and placed it in the micro wave , he could hear Pam moving around in her room doing her evening routine

He wanted to discuss the events of last night a bit more , he was a little puzzled about the way she was acting concerning the Little human from last night , true she was obviously something special smelt like sunshine and was very beautiful in that kind of unassuming way that often attracted there kind. But it didn't seem like Pam wanted to fuck or feed from Sookie , he on the other hand wanted to do both very much and might start putting plans in action to achieve that .

He would have to do some damage control if he wanted to be able to use this valuable asset that had dropped into there lap never mind get to taste her body and blood . At the moment she was terrified of him and it didn't seem likely she would be reciprocal to his advances until that changed .

Admittedly he had acted poorly the first few times he had met Sookie , but that was hardly his fault , the first time he suspected she may have been complicit in his Childs assault and the second possibly part of a bomb plot

It was just not in Eric's nature to regret or to apologise but he would admit he had not acted proper considering the girl had certainly saved his Childs life at least once and may very well have saved BOTH there lives a second time round or at the very least spared him injury and great monetary loss.

But nothing had transpired there was no going back from , the little human seemed very attached to Pam and as the humans say that was his inn .

Pam waltzed into Eric's study looking graceful and refined as ever in a Black crushed velvet top with long sleeves and skin tight vinyl pencil skirt ( Fangtasia get up )

'' Good evening master , this night finds you well I hope ''

''Very well Pam , can you guess what I would like to talk about ? ''

'' Sookie '' Pam replied pulling her lips into a thin line

''Sookie '' Eric grinned

'' I want to see her tonight , I still have some questions for her , bring her along to Fangtasia and..''

''Bring her to Fangtasia ...Master is that wise considering we now know what we know , I'm not sure if I would even be able to get her there after what happened last time ''

'' You could always Glamour her ? '' Eric was a little put out to be having to explain himself

'' But Master if I glamour her and then drop the glamour in Fangtasia she is likely to react...poorly , it is the reason I did not use it to get her out of the house in the first place ''

''I think if you asked she would come she seems fairly attached to you , I take it the reason you did not come home last night till just before dawn is that you spent the evening with the lovely Sookie''

Eric punctuated the lovely part with his trademark eye brow wiggle.

'' I did ...but not under those circumstances, I just ...I just wanted to ensure she was alright , the night had been pretty harsh on her , to remain in her little patch of world for god knows how many years and then on your first trip out to be confronted with a mad bomber were wolf and ...somewhat intimidating Vampire would be a lot for anybody ''.

Eric disliked her use of the word intimidating but he did reserve a large portion of his time to intimidate people so he let it drop

'' Never the less Pam I wish to see her tonight, so that is what is going to happen ...are you refusing?''

Pam had never refused him , he did not like how this conversation was going

''You know I would never and could never refuse you anything Master but I'm simply pointing out some road blocks to your wish , if I glamour Sookie she will loose all trust in me and most likely become unmanageable , and what is the point of using glamour to get her to Fangtasia drop it and watch her disappear as soon as she gets scared again ? ''

Eric realised she did have a good point there , he was trying to get in her good books not make her more scared of him .

''May I make a suggestion master ? ''

'' You may ''

'' Lets meet Sookie half way , I may be able to get Sookie to accompany me but I will have to offer her concessions ''.

Eric was curious now , could the little human be bought ? , she did not seem the type but if that was the case he would gladly pay to get a taste .

'' Close Fangtasia for the evening , its only a Wednesday night anyway we only get punch drunk fangbangers in Wednesday the worst of the worst , it will be no great loss , if I can convince Sookie the only minds there she will be unable to read then I may and I stress MAY be able to talk her into it''

Eric mused a little , it was true on some nights Wednesdays were barley worth there while so it would be not great loss , and he had just finished thinking he was going to take a softly softly approach .

'' You make a valid point Pam , very well it is done I will instruct Long shadow we will be closed for this evening ''

Pam nodded and turned away but then turned back as if she had forgotten something

'' There is one more thing Eric ...and I make this request with the upmost respect ''

Eric leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk '' yes ''

''you have to be nice...no shouting, no grabbing no quick movements ''

Eric stared at Pam blankly for a moment ''Are you saying I'm not normally nice ? ''

'' I have always found you to be lovely master '' Pam replied with a grin '' But you have to bear in mind Sookie's...condition is of a slightly more congenial nature than we are used too , it took me many nights to get her to stop jumping every time I moved , and I did not have the handicap of having almost throttled her to death on our first meeting . She has never mentioned it but I detect a odd noise from her neck sometimes I do not believe was there before her...encounter with you ''

Eric sat back dropping his hands into his lap and looked thoughtful for a moment '' I was not aware I had caused such damage ..but she is very small and frail also I imagine , I will think of a way to make restitution , and also as you say I will be...Nice '' Eric sounded a little pained at the word nice but Pam still beamed at him like he had learnt a new trick.

'' Excellent I will just quickly change into something more me and I will be off too see our little Telepath '' Pam swung on her hips and blurred out of the room leaving Eric to his thinking

'' I can be nice '' He grumbled to himself


	18. Chapter 18

Pam lamented again the damage Sookie's driveway was most likely doing to her cars poor suspension , she had just purchased this Audi S3 to replace her vehicle destroyed in the crash and did not want to have to take it to the infernal garage so soon .

Oh well perhaps if things were headed the way she thought they were she could convince Eric it would be a sound business expense to have her drive way redone , in fact there were a few changes that could be made to Sookie's relatively well maintained but still aged house ...a phone would be a good start .

Sookie Zoomed out of her house much the same way she had done the first time Pam had driven here , but half way she stopped and ducked down to inspect no doubt if she was alone , confirming Eric was not in the car she picked up her speed again .

Palm climbed out to face the eager girl and was momentarily flustered when Sookie threw her arms round her neck and hugged her ...yes it seems they were now '' Hugging friends '' .

Pam would maybe have to have words regarding Vampires and the etiquette of physical contact, but that could wait for another day , besides she didn't mind ...not that much

All thought of anything else was lost when Sookie thrust something forward with both hands and presumably expected Pam to take it , it was a long stem old fashioned looking glass bottle containing some kind of amber liquid , floating in the thick looking liquid were what looked like petals of some sort , the whole thing was topped off with brown twine and a red bow , attached to the bow was a small brown card with neat script '' Flos Substantia Tempus Rutilus ''

Pam stared at the card a moment before looking at an exspecetant Sookie

''Sookie do you speak Latin? ''

'' I'm not sure if I can speak it but I can write it , I found a book at the Christian drop off point ''

Pam had never thought Sookie was stupid, but she had not expected that , popping of the cork Pam sniffed the contents , it was heavenly , not overpowering or chemically but light and fragrant she recognised the scent from Sookie herself so she obviously used this in the shower .

'' I made it for you...mmmm do you like it ? ''

'' You made this ? ''

Sookie nodded her head quickly up and down '' Sookie ...its lovely ''

Pam had not received a gift in a long time , Eric gave her use of his credit card so she supposed that could be considered a gift, but not one someone had selected and even made with her in mind...it was an odd feeling.

The little Angel beamed her light up smile that Pam liked her gift , she had been working on it all day

'' But Sookie why did you..''

'' Its for ...you know ..taking care of me last night , I don't think I would have managed without you

Pam frowned a bit '' But you would have not been in that position if it was not for me Sookie , I truly regret that ''

'' It's ok , do you want to go for a walk , I can show you the best places to get the flowers in the woods , it's a full Moon so you can still see really well , but you have the whole Vampire eye thing so you probably see better tha..''

'' Sookie we have to go see Eric ''

Pam hated to see Sookie deflate like this , she started shifting from foot to foot in what Pam now knew to be a sure sign of anxiety on her part

'' But why ? '' She whined '' I told him about my thing '' Sookie tapped the side of her head to emphasis her mind reading '' what else can I tell him ? ''

''Sookie he just has some more questions regarding ...well some of the other things ''

Sookie tilted her head '' Is he going to ask about my Pop ? ''

''Pop ? '' Pam asked she had no idea what that was , was it a human thing ?

'' Yeah you know when I move from one place to another , I hear this sort of Pop in my head , like when you hold your nose and blow ''

'' Yes that may be part of what he wants to know , but maybe some other things as well ''

'' I cant just do that when ever I want , it only happens when I'm scared and its only happened to me twice '' Sookie stepped back and looked panicked

'' He wont try and scare me into doing it will he , I hate it when he shouts at me , it makes me want to pee myself ! ''

'' Sookie I promise he won't shout at you , he just wants to see you , I will be there the whole time and Fangtasia has been closed tonight there won't be any other people there , just you me and Eric ''

Sookie wasn't really sold on the idea , she would much rather just hang out here with Pam and do some fun stuff of there own . But she wanted to make Pam happy so she started to think if it would be so bad ...she would get a ride in the car again she would like that.

'' You wont leave me alone with him will you ? '' If Pam promised that then she would go , Sookie couldn't think of anything worse than being on her own with Eric.

Pam was silent for a moment, she was moving now beyond the bounds of what she could promise , if Eric commanded her to leave Sookie with him she would have no choice but to obey . She didn't for one minute think he would take her by force , Eric had never needed to do that women mostly throw themselves at his feet , but if she didn't promise it was Possible Sookie would refuse

Pam just had to hedge her bets on this one '' I Promise , I will stay with you ''.

Sookie puffed out her cheeks '' Ok then il come , just let me go change ,its still a little warm

Walking back to the car Pam slipped in and waited for Sookie , after a few minutes she returned in a slighter shorter version of the sacrificed virgin dress she usually wore that came to just about above her knee

Sookie scrambled in excitedly , obviously the novelty of a car ride had yet to wear off .

''Sookie do you always white? '' Pam had only ever seen her in white dresses besides the brown skirt she had just been wearing now and that was the first time she had seen that .

'' I like white...is white not good ? '' Pam started up the engine '' No white is fine , it looks good on you''

And Eric is going to love it on you Pam thought to herself .

**( Fangtasia )**

Bobby Burman was wandering in the staff door of Fangtasia wondering why they were closed for the night ? .

He was hoping to hang around a bit after he dropped of the information to the '' Bitch '' and maybe cruise for some fun , he held a certain status symbol being one of the Masters trusted minions and he wasn't below using it to get some action . But then there wasn't much that was below Bobby

Looking around the bar he couldn't find her and dessided to check Eric's office , knocking he waited till he heard the Master bid him enter .

Eric looked up expectant to see Pam and Sookie so he was a little pissed when he was met with Bobby's face

'' What are you doing here I did not summon you ? '' Eric often wondered why he kept this human around.

'' Pam asked me to get some information for her I was hoping to deliver it ''

'' Pam is out on an errand for me and we will be having a private meeting tonight , your presence is not needed ...leave ''

Bobby turned when Eric out of sheer curiosity asked '' What was the information Pam requested ? ''

Bobby turned back to face his idol '' she wanted details and records pertaining to the Stackhouse family from bon te..'' Eric was in front of him in an instant and snatched the folder out of his hand.

Blurring back to his desk he commanded Bobby '' Sit ''

Bobby showed his training and did as he was told without question . Eric was silent for a few minutes as he read through the information , bank records , death certificates , police reports , medical history

Without looking up Eric asked '' Is this all you could find , nothing else ? ''

'' No that's everything most of the family is dead now , only Adel Stackhouse and her brother are alive , but he's not a Stackhouse so I didn't look into him , Pam only asked me to gather information on the Stackhouse family and the property they lived in , its just the old lady who lives there now ''

'' Adel Stackhouse had.. has a living brother ? '' Eric was curious , why would the girl lie ? .

'' Yes I don't remember the name but it should be in there somewhere , I don't know why Pam wanted me to get this , what's so interesting about a ninety year old shut in . None of the town folks around who even remember her have seen her in years and the younger ones all died in some kind of accident out on a bridge someplace ''

Eric looked up long enough to fix Bobby with a cold stare ''You were asked to perform a task and you have , that is all you need to know now leave ''

Bobby recognised he was on dangerous ground so quickly stood giving an almost comical bow and nearly ran out of the office '' Why do I keep him around ? '' Eric mumbled

**(Pam's Car) **

Pam was once again enjoying the spectacle that was an excited Sookie . She had just found something she had missed on the last drive , namely the auto slide out cup holders

In a lot of ways Pam envied Sookie , every thing was new and interesting , as a vampire she had to deal with the fact that eventually you would have seen and done just about everything . She was still young in vampire terms , Eric for instance had walked this earth for over a thousand years and Pam could still only imagine what that felt like

Maybe that is why she was drawn to this little human , she was new and different , just how different they would still have to discover but if Eric had not seen her like before then it was likely whatever she was it was beyond rare.

'Sookie it seemed had finished her fun with the cup holders and sat quietly for a few moments , Pam could hear the gears grinding in her head '' Pam ''

She knew that tone of voice , Sookie only used it when she had thought of something interesting to ask '' Yes sookie ? ''

'' what's it feel like to die ? '' Ok that was not what Pam had expected

'' I'm not sure what you mean Sookie , do you mean did it hurt ? ''

'' No I know if you die painfully it must hurt , but ...what's it feel like to die ? ''

Pam had to think about that for a minute '' When Eric turned me...it was like slipping into a warm bath , I could feel ...something changing but at the time I was not sure what ...I was lucky in a lot of ways , Eric did not want it to hurt , so he ..was gentle in his own manner ''

Sookie was silent for a time before starting again in a quite voice '' I'm Sorry Eric hurt you , did you never get mad at him ...you know for doing it ? ''

''Sookie if he had not I would not be sitting here with you now , if your human its hard to describe , he did take away my life ..but he gave me another in return , I have seen and done things that most humans can only dream about , I told you once before if I got the chance to choose again I would choose to be what I am now , I think you just may have a hard time with that as you hold animosity towards Eric ''

''Well ...he is a bit of a jerk ''

'' No Sookie Eric is Eric he is a good master , I know you think he is mean , but trust me when I say he is not evil Sookie , I have met EVIL Vampires in my time and I hope that you never meet one , but it's worth baring in mind...many would consider me Evil ''

Sookie opened her mouth to protest, Pam was no way Evil she was nice.

'' I have killed Sookie ...I have killed and I have tortured and I have enjoyed it , my relationship with you...is difficult for me to get my head around , but never forget I am a vampire , things could have gone in a much different way ''

That was a sobering thought, Sookie did not want to see Pam as anyone but the friend who had held her hand when she was afraid but now Pam had said it , she had to ask .

'' What things could have been different ? ''

Pam took her eyes off the road for a second to look at her little Angel

'' Before it tell you Sookie I have to ask ...do you want me to shield you from the harsher things , the things I think you may not want to know ? ''

Sookie thought for a moment but she knew the answer the minute Pam asked

''No...no id rather know..I must seem..young too you and I suppose I am , but I've always known in the back of my head what something's in the world must be like ''

When she said that Pam could have sworn this was a different Sookie , but Pam felt maybe she needed to give Sookie more credit , after all Pam whether she was aware of it or not had changed in some aspects to accommodate Sookie into her life , why should Sookie not have that ability.

'' If I had been a little less hurt when you found me...I would have smelt how delicious your blood was and it is by the way, and I would have drained you dry ... I wouldn't had done it to be cruel , I would just have been in a position were it was me or you , and one thing about a Vampire you should never forget is that we guard our lives jealously ''

The car was silent for what seemed like a long time and Pam was starting to regret some of the things she had said , they were all true but maybe they were unwise to say them .

Before Pam could stew to much Sookie leant over and pecked her on the cheek , returning to her seat she said '' Then I'm glad things turned out the way they did , il never regret helping you ''

Pam could not stop the Smile on her face , Sookie it seemed could overcome and adapt fairly quickly with the right support ...maybe she might even make a good vampire


	19. Chapter 19

Hello all

Sorry this is not a new chapter, just an update to let everyone who has asked I have not abandoned my story. I'm in the Middle East at the moment on holiday so haven't had the time to work on it much

I've made a start on Chapter 19 & 20 and will try and post these in the next few days , as ever thank you everyone who has taken the time to review I've had a lot of nice feedback

I've had a few offers for a Beta as well and this was also a big compliment ( Thank you Shadowkat )

Thanks for your Patience

Carl Marx


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello all **

**I felt a little guilty as a few people mentioned in there recent reviews that they thought my last message was an update so I decided to update what I've done so far a little ahead of time , Have been a little stuck on these last chapters so I hope there up to snuff **

**More to follow soon maybe as long as my hotel wi-fi holds out **

Pam pulled her car into her reserved space in front of Fangtasia she could tell Sookie was at least attempting to put on a brave face but her heart was still beating pretty fast. At least it would seem her idea to close the club for the night hard worked to elevate her stress a little bit

'' Are you ready Sookie ? '' Sookie unbuckled her seat belt and breathed out heavily through her nose '' If I say no, could we go home and you could tell me more about England? ''

'' I would be happy to tell you more about that some time but for now , we have to see to this and it's not going to be nearly as bad as you think , he just wants to talk and il be there with you ''

Nodding Sookie climbed out and followed Pam . Sookie had not really gotten a good look at this place last time she was here due to all that was going on , it was not what she would have expected from a place that Vampires hung out . She would think maybe it would look more like a castle or something like that , but it's not like she really knew that much about vampires she had only met two. One was now her best friend and the other was probably the closet thing she had to an enemy ...so the jury was still out.

Ether Pam was just really nice to her and her alone like she had said, or Eric was atypical of his kind and they were all big stupid jerks.

Keeping Pace with Pam there neared the back door, Pam held it open for Sookie and led the girl inside, Sookie sort of recalled the lay out so Eric's office should one of these doors down this corridor

'' _**That's it sugar oh god I missed this , I knew he would come back to me once he got sick of Vicky bite me baby '' **_

Sookie slowed down and wrinkled her nose at the thoughts that were flying around in the direction of the bar , Pam noticed and stopped next to her '' What's the matter Sookie , is something wrong ?''

'' I thought you said it would just be me you and Eric here tonight ? '' Sookie tried to keep from sounding accusing .

'' It is Sookie why do you ask '' Pam prayed Eric had heeded her warning about closing the place for the night , she didn't want any drama five seconds after they walked in the door , but perking her ears up she guessed what Sookie might be detecting , swearing under her breath she asked Sookie to wait there and blurred off

Sookie had been about to protest but Pam was gone and she was alone in the corridor '' Hey you said you wouldn't leave me alone '' She felt like stamping her foot

Well at least she was alone

'' Hello Sookie '' Sookie froze she had not heard him approach and now wondered if she didn't turn round would she somehow be able to wish him away.

Realising the presence wasn't going anyplace Sookie slowly turned around to face Eric ., she wasn't really facing him as at her normal eye level she was only level with his chest.

''mmmm...Hello Eric.. .'' Unsure what else to say the little human decided silence was the best policy, Silence and praying as hard as she could that Pam would come back .

''Wont you please come in and have a seat Sookie , I can hear Pam is at present dealing with something , she shouldn't be long ''

Now Sookie was really stuck she had no reason to say no, but at the same time she did not want to be in a room alone with Eric. This had been her worst case scenario , if he did decide to do something horrible even if she called Pam for help she might not get there in time, especially in light of how quick she had seen he was.

Eric could see the battle being waged in Sookie's head , he had actually hoped to get her alone at some point tonight , not necessarily to do anything but just to start getting her used to being alone with him without the safety blanket of Pam present

'' Could we wait till Pam gets back ...please? ''

Eric frowned maybe this really was going to be harder than he initially thought he wasn't originally planning on using Glamour but perhaps maybe just a light touch to get the ball rolling might be in order , especially as Pam was busy dealing with Long shadow and Ginger at the minute , he could do so without being brow beaten.

''Sookie look at me '' Sookie at first didn't want to look but she figured there was only so much she could probably get away with and if she just had to look at him and not go anywhere then that couldn't be too bad.

Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his , a funny thought occurred to her that when it wasn't contorted with anger or shouting Eric had quite a nice face, his eyes were a pretty deep shade of blue and his general facial features were all arranged in a pleasing way, if she didn't know how quickly he could pop her head off, and if she didn't have the memory of him almost doing just that then she would have thought him handsome...maybe

Eric had her locked his gaze with the young girl and gently pushed a bit of his influence at her

'' Sookie you will not be so afraid of me and will even enjoy my company a little ''

Sookie could feel something tickling on the edges of her mind , it felt like when your foot falls asleep and when the sensation comes back it pricks and tingles but not necessarily hurts , she had never felt anything like that before

And why was Eric suddenly talking all strange asking her to not be afraid of him was a tall order and enjoying his company was definitely not on the menu for the time being she just wanted Pam to come back before he expected her to say anything

I response to Sookie's prayers Pam appeared once again in the corridor and Sookie could have leapt into her arms if she didn't think that Pam would most likely not appreciate the gesture.

Eric didn't look that pleased Pam was back but said nothing '' Well then now that we're ALL here shall we? '' The Viking extended one extremely long arm into his office and Sookie scurried through quickly eager to get out of his shadow Pam followed at a much slower pace and calmer demeanour .

Eric had intended for Sookie to take the chair in front of his desk but not unsurprisingly she opted to sit next to Pam on the couch , Eric found himself feeling a small spike of jealousy for his child but quickly pushed it aside he waited till she was settled in before starting .

''Sookie the reason I have asked you here tonight is I would like to discuss a few things with you we did not get the chance to discuss last night ,the first being how you were able to leave this office and make it all the way home apparently instantaneously ''

Sookie breathed out hard and hoped Eric believed her story '' I don't know how I do that '' Sookie continued quickly when she saw Eric was going to interrupt '' I SWEAR I don't, it just sort of happens ...and its only ever happened once before, I think it's when I'm scared ...and well you scared me so I wanted to be someplace else...so then I was ''

Eric regarded her in what Sookie found to be a slightly uncomfortable manner but he said nothing .

''Vey well if you are not able to provide any further information than we shall drop it for now but I may wish to discuss that again at a later date '' Eric really did not want to drop it he was very interested it this topic but taking his own advice of a softly softly approach he did not press the girl. Besides there was no way he was letting her get away now he had found her so he could always pump her regarding it later ...and in other ways also if he had his way ...and he usually did .

Shifting gears a little Eric decided to stop procrastinating and talk about the real reason he had requested the girls presence tonight

'' Sookie...are you happy with your life? '' Ok that through Sookie for a loop , she had expected to be interrogated some more regarding her POP or her mind reading but not on whether or not she was happy .

Fidgeting a little in her seat she looked at Pam for guidance but Pam was stony faced , looking back to Eric she repeated the question back just to be sure she heard right '' Am I happy with my life ? ''

Eric simply nodded '' Well... I guess I've never really thought about it , my life is what it is , what's the point in agonising over something you can't change ...I can't help what I am ''

Eric's eyes softened but it was so small no one would have noticed '' There is nothing wrong with what you are Sookie , you are special . It's a shame that you have been lead to believe you are less than you are but that is part of the reason I have called you here today ...I would like to help you Sookie ''

'' Help me how ? '' Sookie frowned . She wasn't sure she wanted Eric's help but it couldn't hurt to hear him out and she had told Pam she would listen.

'' Your living in a bubble at the moment Sookie , you've made it this far on your own and I must admit I am impressed by that , but eventually that bubble will burst , you will be discovered at some point by humans or worse another of my kind and when that occurs it will not end well for you ''

'' What do you mean...not end well for me? '' the little human was not sure she liked the sound of that

'' You have already come to know how most humans treat what they deem to be strange or unusual , but my kind would be drawn to you in far worse way ...I'm aware you fear me and I am willing to admit I could have handled matters concerning you ..a little better but I acted out of a desire to protect those under my care, if you would allow me I would protect you with equal zeal ''

Sookie momentarily forgot her fear of Eric that was an awfully impressive speech. But one question was still knocking round in her head and she had to ask it

'' But why...why would you want to help me, I'm just me ''

Eric had to raise his eye brows at that, did the girl not realise how valuable she was?. Even if she didn't posses some extremely rare talents, her beauty and status as fresh and untouched would have in his day fetched a hefty price at market , a specimen worthy of a courtesan of any lord lucky enough to find her .

'' You are unique Sookie , in my world that means a lot , we could help each other . You seem at the moment to have little or no control over your gifts, I think this is because no one has ever taken the time to help you cultivate them, you are not stupid that much is clear if that was the case you would have perished long before now, also Pam would not have had any time for you she is not known to suffer fools lightly ''

Sookie glanced at Pam who for the first time since they entered the office offered her a smile. Reaching over Pam patted her knee in an affectionate gesture

The act had its desired effect and Sookie felt a little better about this whole situation

'' This is a lot to take in ...could I think about this a litle first ...please? '' Sookie unconsciously crossed her fingers , she was expecting Eric to start shouting and demanding an answer now so she was a little surprised when a large smile spread across his face...ok she was willing to admit now it was a handsome face ...maybe a little.

'' I would have lost a little respect for you if you didn't ask for time to think about it , please take a day or so to think it over , shall we say two nights from now Pam will collect you and bring you here?''

Sookie started to open her mouth but Eric expecting her question quickly added '' under the same conditions as tonight of course, only we three here will be in attendance ''

Nodding mutely Sookie slowly stood and looked to Pam to see if they were done.

'' Eric may I return Sookie to her home now ?'' Pam wanted to be sure before doing anything , Eric had been on his best behaviour and didn't want to spoil it now.

'' Yes please do, well then I suppose I shall see you soon Sookie '' rising out of his chair himself he slowly made his way round the desk recalling Pam's warning he did so slower than human speed till he stood in front of the little telepath. He was happy she had not shrunk back and put it down to his bit of subtle glamour .

Slowly he took Sookie's hand from her side and brought it to his lips, he suppressed a groan at the feel and smell of her skin it was like wild flowers and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on but he didn't want to spook her so he kept the contact short .

Sookie had not reacted badly to Eric's approach in fact not because of the attempted Glamour but that so far tonight he had not displayed any of the hostile tendencies she had come to expect from him . When he had taken her hand she was prepared to snatch it back but his touch was so tender this time as a pose to a brutal clamping she just didn't feel the need .

Also when his lips had touched her hand she had felt an odd twinge she couldn't recognise in her tummy, she was not sure why but she thought those lips would be rough but they weren't they were soft however she pushed it aside and just sort of bobbed her head in response

Turning quickly on her heels she followed to join Pam who was now in the corridor silently watching their interaction

Eric followed them as far as the door and watched the object of his interest walk out the staff entrance taking of course a moment to appreciate her behind

When the staff door slammed shut he allowed a smile to spread across his face

''See...I can be nice ''


	21. Chapter 21

The car ride back to Bon Tomp was quite until Sookie stopped chewing her lip and finally asked what was on her mind '' what should I do Pam? ''

Taking her eyes of the road for an instant to glance at her human friend Pam gave no response for a minute of two '' I can't really answer that for you Sookie, this is very much your decision to make ...but I can offer advice if you care to heed it? ''

Sookie nodded her head enthusiastically she desperately wanted some kind of help and Pam always seemed so wise with this kind of thing .

'' Eric was right on a lot of the points he made tonight, you are living in your own little world at the moment but eventually that has to come to an end. You have survived on your own thus far and I second my master on the respect you are due in how long you have been able to cope on your own...but sooner or later you will be discovered, tell me Sookie what will you do when the world finds out your grandmother is dead? ...or indeed that you are alive? ''.

Sookie rubbed her hands together she had never given that much though before , she had just concentrated on getting by and remaining hidden , she had no larger plan other than that .

'' I'm not sure...gran always said it was important that no one find me so I've just been doing that ''

Pam glanced at Sookie again but this time to frown at her a little '' That is not a plan Sookie and Eric is correct to ask if your happy ...are you happy , is that want you want from your life to hide all the time , to never go anywhere or do anything outside of your house ? '' .

Sookie felt a little defensive now '' It's not like I've ever had a choice Pam, it's just the way my life is''

Pam slapped the centre of the steering wheel making Sookie jump , she thought Pam was angry at her and was getting ready to apologise for anything she had said , there was no way she could lose Pam as a friend but before she could say anything else she saw the big smile on Pam's face.

'' you've answered your own question Sookie '' Pam beamed at her before she continued '' NOW you have a choice , I will be your friend if you say yes or no but I can only help you so far , Eric is a good mentor I know this from personnel experience , everything he says he can do ...he can do ''

Sookie rubbed her eyes a little behind her glasses she was getting tired just thinking about this all.

''So you think I should yes then ? ''

'' Think about it for the time Eric has given you and I'm sure you will come to the right decision ''

Sookie stretched her arms out and yawned lightly '' At least he didn't shout at me tonight ...or act like to big a jerk...maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be around him , but I think it's going to take a while to get used to that ...at least more than just him telling me to enjoy his company and not be afraid of him, that was a little weird '' .

Pam shot her a quick look of confusion '' When did he tell you that? ''

Sookie was trying to curl into a ball in her seat but wasn't having much luck, she felt so tired .

She answered sleepily '' outside his office when you left me, he told me to enjoy him and not fear him or something like that, as if it was just that easy ''.

Pam said nothing in response and soon she could hear the Angels breathing getting shallow as she slipped off to sleep.

The next thing Sookie knew she was being gently shaken awaken and realised they must be home

'' Time to wake up little one, it's been a long night for you '' Pam was smiling down at her , she eased herself out of her curled up position and gingerly slipped herself out of the car .

Pam followed Sookie up her porch steps but before Sookie could enter her house Pam took one of her hands and slowly turned the half asleep girl round to face her

Sookie could feel a strange little buzz in her head again as Pam softly spoke to her

'' Sookie ...I want you to touch your nose ''

Sleepy as she was she still managed a giggle '' Why do you want me to touch my nose? ''

Her Vampire friend didn't responded for a moment but just stared back at her blankly but then leaned in to peck her on the cheek '' Never mind my friend ...off to bed with you , I shall see you soon .

Sookie waved weakly before shuffling inside and making her way upstairs to her eagerly awaited snug bed .


	22. Chapter 22

Eric grunted and thrust forward again with more force than the last , he was having trouble getting into his stride tonight . The blood bag below him had been waiting out side Fangtasia even after it was closed in the hope of meeting him , she had blond hair and decent enough curves so Eric had begrudgingly accepted her invitation to enjoy her body and blood

The problem he was having was the girl although passable as a spot of entertainment was not what he was really craving tonight . Her incessant lewd bad pawn movie dirty talk had got so annoying he now had one hand clamped over her mouth as he pounded into her with more force than perhaps was wise ...but she still met his thrusts with her hips bucking and moaned her approval through his fingers .

Attempting a different tack he flipped the girl over at vampire speed onto her stomach and quickly positioned her on all fours before entering her roughly again . The human cried out momentarily in pain before falling back into her panting and moaning rhythm

Eric gripped her hips and fisted handfuls of her long blond hair attempting to loose himself in the fantasy that this was his new interest beneath him , moaning and groaning as his entered her again and again , closing his eyes he tried to imagine ...the wild flower smell ...the soft satin skin ...the delectable looking bre..

''Oh baby please..please fuck me harder '' Eric's eyes snapped open , his fantasy ruined .

Striking forward faster than a rattle snake he griped the girls mouth under his hand once more and buried his extended fangs into her neck , his partner squealed in pain muffled under his large hand.

Eric took three long languid sucks and with that emptied himself into the girl , removing his hand she panted and whimpered for a few moments as Eric pinned her almost face down under his considerable weight before with a flick of his arm against the bed he slipped out of her , off her and gracefully came to his feet at the foot of the bed .

Bending down he picked up a pair of sweat pants discarded on the floor and slipped them on . The girl still had not moved from her position , she was still feeling the after effects of the slightly rough sex and feeding .

Eric regarded he bare ass for a minute before sitting down on the edge of the bed and rolling her over onto her back . She protested at first perhaps expecting some more pain but Eric simply dipped his head to her neck and began licking the puncture marks he had left till they bleed no more and had decreased in size by half.

The girls smiled up at him dreamily , her previous fear obviously now gone .Eric held her gaze and spoke in a low tone '' You will get dressed now and leave , you will walk three streets over and wait next to the blue house , from there a taxi will take you home , you will not recall what you have done tonight or where you have been only that it was very enjoyable ...and you will never come back to Fangtasia ''

Glamour complete Eric existed the guest bedroom and made his way downstairs to the real nest , it wasn't necessary to add that the girl would recall enjoying herself part , he was very confident in his abilities as a lover but what was the point if he simply told her to forget everything . Likewise telling her never to return may have been unnecessary but he was taking out his frustration on her a little perhaps .

Eric was not used to not getting what he wanted straight away ...but Sookie would have to be handled carefully , he did not want to set back his obvious progress with to much to soon , also the girl maybe might need to mature a little before she was able to properly appreciate what he was capable of in the bedroom .

The illusion of choice he thought was a masterful stroke on his part , all humans seemed to enjoy it and even though Sookie may not be totally human she seemed as susceptible to it as the next human .

He did genuinely hope she would take his offer it would make things so much easier , he had no intention of letting her go now even if she did refuse , after all she was now his and his alone but if she came to him of her own free will then so much the better .

Eric pondered if perhaps he could have sped things up a bit with a touch more glamour than he had used...but no ..this would almost be more fun . The hunt was getting dull after a thousand years and especially after the great reveal when blood bags through themselves LITTREALY at his feet , he recalled hearing about a human restaurant recently that invited humans to kill the animal they wished to consume on sight when it was tethered down , that's pretty much how he felt at Fangtasia some nights . He was a hunter and had been for an age , he liked to stalk to plan and strategise before the kill so Sookie was a welcome breath of fresh air and would be doubly so when she yielded to him

He wasn't intending to kill the girl of course she was far to rare a find for that but there were lots and lots of other things he very much wanted to partake in...a lot of things .

Settling into his large plush leather armchair Eric began to thumb through the files Burman had managed to obtain . After a few minutes his advanced hearing picked up the sound of the security doors sliding open as his child returned .

Pam glided into the office shirking off her delicate knit pink Baileys of London coat , plopping herself down into an adjoining recliner she smiled at her master

'' How was your meal...she had nice tits by the way ''

Eric chuckled '' They ALWAYS have nice tits Pam don't you know that by now ? ''

Spying the folder in his hands she leaned forward '' Is that ...''

Eric held the file aloft before tossing it down onto the oak coffee table '' Our little humans family information yes ...Burman delivered it tonight before your arrival at Fangtasia ...you asked for this before you knew of her talents Yes ? ''

Pam reached forward to pick it up '' Yes I wanted to get to know a bit more about her , I was certain there were something's she wasn't telling me ...but I had no idea how much '' .

Eric steepled his fingers and leaned back further into the soft leather '' There are a few interesting tit bits in there ...for instance did you know the girl is independently wealthy ? '' .

Pam quirked an eye brow at that and pursed her lips '' Wealthy how ? ''

''It seems that at the time of his death Charles Stackhouse was the sole owner of a large handmade furniture manufacturers , a very good one by all account after his death the ownership passed to what the authorities believed was the only living relative Adele Stackhouse , she apparently sold the company a few years before her death for a cool $350'000 , also the sale of there family home netted an extra $95'000 that would make Sookie the beneficiary now Mrs Stackhouse has passed ...although I can only imagine the legal nightmare after she pops up again after all these years should she wish to claim it ''.

Pam chuckled to herself '' I cant imagine what Sookie would want to do with any of that money , she sews her own cloths for gods sake ''.

Eric frowned and growled at that '' Those days are OVER Pam , I want you to purchase whatever you deem necessary tomorrow , shoes , cloths , jewellery whatever she needs , I will not have my Telepath wandering round in homemade attire no matter how skilfully done...she deserves the best'' .

Pam grinned at her master choice of words '' YOUR Telepath Master , are you so sure she will say yes ? ''

Eric didn't like the implication Pam was making '' Are you saying she will say no ...because Pam that really is not an option ''

Pam looked up from her reading to meet Eric's gaze '' But you said tonight..''

'' I said what she needed to hear Pam , there is no way I'm going to let a find of the century simply slip through my hands , the girl is far to valuable to just let walk away , other Vampires would kill to posses her ...in fact I have no doubt I may have to kill to retain her once knowledge of her existence gets out '' .

Pam placed the folder back onto the counter and turned her head to stare into the fire that was happily crackling away in the antique Victorian wrought iron fireplace '' And...if she says no ? ...if she just wants to remain at home...what then ? ''

Eric shrugged lightly '' Glamour I suppose ...or force if absolutely necessary but only as a last resort , I have no wish to see her damaged or for her to damage herself , but I think it will not come to that she obviously desires companionship or she would not hold you in such high regard , I was as you say NICE tonight would you not agree ? '' .

Pam smiled faintly and raised herself out of her chair '' Do you really have no idea what she might be master ..none at all ? ''.

'' I've been throwing some ideas around but nothing I can prove or disprove , Sprites , nyads , nymphs , fairies ...there's no end to the old legends . The problems is that we Vampires are so used to knowing what's out there so much it's a bit of a conundrum when we encounter something else that go's bump in the night ...and of course there's the possibility she is something completely new ..a one of a kind creation of nature '' Eric smiled broadly '' But what a creation indeed ''

Pam turned and started to leave , she was ready to go to ground for the day but before she made it out the door Eric spoke again '' Tell me Pam...what did she taste like ? ''

Pam faced her master once again and had to give the answer some thought ''...like...Life..electric life is the closet I can put it ''

Eric nodded thoughtfully '' I shall need your help you know Pam ...to deal with her , to train her I trust I can count on you as I have ever done ''

'' Eric I will always help you in any way I'm able...but may I say something ? ''

Standing the older Vampire approached the younger until he was chest to face with her and nodded for her to continue.

'' You won't...break her will you ...you will try not to do that yes ?''

Eric lifted his hand to stroke Pam hair and cup her cheek '' No ..no I don't want that ..but I DO want her Pam and that is going to come first ..that is why I need you help ''

Pam raised her own hand to grip the one on her face '' Then of course I will help you master ''

Eric placed a kiss on his progenies forehead '' I always know I can count on you my child ''

Settling atop her Egyptian cotton sheets later , Pam closed her eyes to slip into her day rest , she was a little unsettled by tonight's conversation and by her own actions ...she had withheld information from Eric...from her master in two hundred years she had never done that before , why she didn't tell Eric about Sookie's apparent immunity to glamour she could not say ...she was just hoping she supposed it would not matter , that Sookie would accept and that all would turn out ok ...she just dearly hoped no harsher choices were ahead of her .

**Author note **

**I have never done a sex scene before so if that was a bit ruff round the edges I'm sorry , I just think it's a bit hard not to cross over into pawn territories sometimes ...especially with the word ''Cock'' I just can't write it without thinking it looks weird in the story **

**Will try and get better at it **


	23. Chapter 23

The next two nights were uneventful for Pam , she had hooked up with an interesting girl at Fangtasia who had her tongue pierced five times and that had made for an enjoyable few hours in Eric's office but other than that ..same old same old .

Pam had deliberately not gone to see Sookie in that time , preferring to leave the girl in peace to think about things but the little Angel had never been far from her mind ...in fact unbeknown to her she had indulged in a little fantasy of her own similar to Eric's when the multi pierced multi talented fangbanger was nestled between her legs that perhaps it was the little Angles tongue that was..

Eric strode into the bar breaking Pam' chain of thought , gliding to greet him she shoved a foolish Vermin stupid enough to get in her way into the wall with a slam and a crunch .

Eric had taken his seat on the throne when Pam appeared next to him , Eric grunted in way of a greeting and Pam rolled her eyes , he had been like this since last night , she had read human children exhibited similar behaviour when there favourite toy had been removed from them .

All Eric had wanted to talk about with her the last two nights had been said Toy , and now he was annoyed as Pam had no more to tell him , they had discussed everything she knew or in a lot of cases did not know about Sookie .

He was particularly disgruntled that Pam had no idea why Sookie never removed the tinted glasses she always wore or that the only time Pam had seen her eyes she was when she was half unconscious so could not really attest as to what they looked like.

They had discussed the fact Sookie may have lied regarding the state of her family as to the fact she did have a living relative in the form of her uncle ''Judson Bartlett '' but Pam was quick to point out she may have been simply unaware .

'' All is well with you master ? '' Pam was deliberately injecting more vim into her greeting knowing full well it would provoke him in his current mood...but hay it was free entertainment .

'' As well as can be , is there anything I need to know ? '' Eric grumbled .

'' The final details for the Halloween ball are finished only two weeks to go and we should have a hell of a party , the new neon advert board will be fitted tomorrow the dockets are on your desk to sign , you may need to have another word with Helvetica as she had an incident with one of the shaven headed monkeys from the air force base again ..well I say incident she pulled one of his fingers off but it was only the pinkie ''

'' For FUCKS sake how can a vampire five hundred years old have so little control , has it been dealt with ? '' Eric growled

'' Yes yes I glamoured the poor goon , he thinks he caught it in a car door and went to the hospital , I even gave him a little bag of ice to put it in aren't I just the nicest! '' Batting her eyelids Pam was still poking the soar bear that was Eric

Eric of course knew after two hundred years what Pam was up to and was refusing to rise to the occasion .

'' And Helvetica ? '' Eric waved off the waitress he was In no mood for her attempt at flirting

'' I sent her back to her nest , I told her to expect a summons from you and she best steer clear till then ''

''Good ..very good Pam ..have you spoken to..''

''NO I have not spoken to Sookie Master and I will not until tomorrow night when I collect her '' Eric had asked this question every time he saw her and Pam was starting to think maybe attacking a thousand year old Vampire was not that bad an idea.

Standing Eric walked onto the dance floor the Vermin parting like the red sea in front of Mosses Standing in the middle he sniffed heavily with his eyes closed and turned his head towards a far corner

Making his way over to his target he patted a young Vampire with slick black hair on his shoulder , turning with a sneer that soon fell off his face when he saw who had touched him the younger Vampire bowed his head '' Yes Sheriff ? ''

Eric didn't even look at him his gaze was fixed on the women the vampire had been talking with , she was in her thirties he would guess with light red hair , she wore far to make up for liking but she smelt reasonably alright and only had one set of fang marks he could see and they were on her wrist.

'' You will come with me '' Eric shoed the other Vampire away and turned with the women hot on his heels following his command.

Once back in his office he removed his gray leather jacket and tossed it onto the couch , sitting himself behind his desk he regarded the Women who stood before him , in the soft light of his office her outfit looked a bit more outlandish all leather straps and bits of PVC ...but it fit her well enough he would have to admit .

'' What's your name girl ? '' He wasn't truly interested but it got the ball rolling .

Striking what she no doubt thought was a sexy pose with hand on hip she answered '' Selene ''

Eric rolled his eyes , Selene indeed if he had to guess he would say she was a Trudy or Susan but hey Fangtasia was all about the fantasy .

Pushing back from his desk Eric leaned further into his chair arms rested either side of himself '' why don't you show me what you can do Selene ''

The girl smirked and sashayed round to stand before him before falling to he knees , fumbling with his belt she freed Eric from the confines of his black jeans and the vampire was as ever amused by the response his size engendered , to her credit she was only momentarily daunted before lowering her head onto him and going to work .

However after ten minutes Eric was more bored than interested with this whole liaison , the girl had some skill and managed to fit an impressive amount of him into her mouth but the spark just wasn't there , sensing he wasn't going to get any kind of relief Eric pulled back and gripping the girls arm forced her to rise to her feet with him

'' That was vey interesting Selene your efforts were appreciated '' Ignoring the girls confused glance he led her back into the bar and quickly found the slick black haired vampire again , pushing her into his arms he stated ''I'm done now , she's all yours '' and turned without another word to saunter out the club door giving Pam a quick nod on the way out .

Once outside Eric walked for a few moments to clear the crowd gathered smoking near the entrance and took to the sky .

It only took a few minutes to get to his destination and with a silent dissent he was in the woods surrounding Sookie's old farm house , moving like a ghost from shadow to shadow he made his way to the back door of the property , Eric clicked his tongue when he tried the lock and it simply popped open , Pam had told him about the young girls habit of leaving her doors unlocked and made a mental note to change that situation .

The last time he was here he did not have a good opportunity to look round and even with all the lights out he started to inventory the strange girls house , steady slow breathing told him Sookie was asleep upstairs so he need not fear discovery , he was sure that would not go down very well given she had only just stopped trying to run in fear at his very presence .

The house smelt as clean as it looked , pine and lemons but the real fragrance that interested him was HER fragrance , he couldn't get enough of it , it was light and fresh and definitely sweet , the other smells of clean linen and lavender paled in comparison to her natural aroma .

Old family photos hung on the walls and each was inspected in turn , some were of sookie and some of who he presumed were the rest of the now almost extinct Stackhouse clan .

Little girl Sookie he noted also wore the glasses he very much wanted to know about , so it seemed even at a young age she was compelled to wear them for whatever reason .

Sookie's mother strangely enough he thought did not really look like her , she was pretty he supposed in a plain way but was nowhere near as attractive as his Telepath was

An old black and white photo caught his attention just above the fireplace , it was of a young couple standing next to a old Buick 1940's style soft top car , the man was dressed neatly in the finery of the day complete with fedora hat and the girl...now the girl was closer to the beauty who slept upstairs , she was dressed in a simple summer dress with lace bonnet her hair hung in lose ringlets and framed a pleasing face , she seemed to hold a lot of emotion in her eyes . Scribbled in a corner of the photo in ink were the words '' Adele & Krandall 17/8/1941''

So this was the late Adele Stackhouse he pondered .

Floating more than walking he made his way to the foot of the stairs and took a minute to think on the wisdom of this , but he just wanted to have a quick peak ...what could that hurt .

Silent as the grave he moved upstairs and simply followed that enchanting smell till he stood outside a plain white pained door , looking down at the handle he couldn't help but smile at the tiny handprint in purple paint that was next to the brass knob , the print was smaller than even her dainty hand was now so this must have been from her younger days .

After perking his ear up a second to confirm the breathing was still steady and slow he eased the door open .

The Vampire almost had to cover his mouth with his hand as his fangs clicked down , the smell in the rest of the house was nothing compared to the odour in here , this room reeked of HER and it was heavenly ! .

And there curled up in a ball on top of her covers nestled in her small single bed that would probably not accommodate his size was the source .

She was wearing a small strappy white top and blue pyjama bottoms , the combo was innocent enough but Eric found it more erotic than anything he had seen in a Paris Burlesque .

Floating to stand next to her he took the time just to enjoy the sight , the bare skin on her arms seemed to shine in the moonlight from the open window and looked so completely inviting he just had to touch it , running a single finger up her arm he enjoyed the smooth feeling and imagined what it would be like to lick it , agonisingly slow he trailed up until his finger was flicking stray golden blond hairs away from her neck .

Suddenly and perhaps late due to dealing with the smell he realised she wasn't wearing her glasses !. He could only see half her face but it was the first time he had seen hey eyelashes and thin delicate eyebrows , looking to her bed side table sure enough there were the offending eye wear placed next to a thick looking brown book of some sort .

Eric was torn between the strong desire for her to open her eyes and the consequences of that happening , why did she hide her eyes? , maybe this was why he was here in the middle of nowhere in an old run down farm house instead of his own domain surrounded by eager concubines who would fight each other to the death for the privilege of giving him a blow job ! .

She was a mystery ...a mystery wrapped in a enigma and a pretty damn sexy enigma at that , he wanted to know everything about her and the only way he was going to do that was by getting to know her ...and making her HIS .

Falling to one knee he slowly moved his head forward to nuzzle into her hair huffing her scent like a drug addict , he was now TEN times harder than he had been during ''Selene's '' crude ministrations and this girl hadn't even touched him yet .

If Eric had ever wanted to bite someone so much in his long life dead or otherwise he could not recall it now , what did she taste like ...Pam had called it Electric life and he could well believe that , if used to describe just about anyone else he would think the term grandiose...but not in this instance ...would it be so bad ...just to have a taste ?...if she awoke he could always just Glamour her ...What could it hurt ?

And he wanted it so BAD.


	24. Chapter 24

Eric's fangs scrapped tantalisingly over the soft flesh of Sookie's throat eliciting a slight moan from the sleeping girl , the noise was enough to brake the vampire out of his trance and silently he turned his head away from temptation...what was he doing?.

He was behaving like a day old youngling not a thousand year old sheriff . Closing his eyes he willed his eager fangs to retract and breathed out an unnecessary breath . He would not take her this way like a creep in the night , not a few hours ago he was thinking on the thrill of the hunt and just now he was about to conquer her in her sleep ...no .

Standing to put a little most distance between them he looked down on the still slumbering Telepath ...no ..he would wait , bide his time , he was no pervert . Well that wasn't totally true but he preferred a willing partner , in all his years he had never taken a women without her consent and he wasn't about to start now . He had of course many times fed of the unwilling it was part of being a vampire but feeding and sex were intertwined in the vampire mind and he had no doubt if he bite her now the other need would quickly rear its head and before this night was out he would have something truly to regret .

He was immortal , in time the girl would be his this was already decided but he would wait till she knew this also.

Sookie shifted a little in her sleep and snuggled deeper into her pillow rubbing her head this was and that ...Eric grinned...jealous of a pillow ..this girl was a never ending source of new sensations.

Allowing himself one last stroke of her satin cheek , he turned away from temptation . Looking at her night stand he for a moment he considered stealing her glasses , if he took them she would not be able to wear them for their meeting tomorrow ...but he quickly dismissed this as being beneath him , he would find out soon enough what was the meaning behind them .

His attention and curiosity turned to the large book that was also on the night stand and quietly he picked it up and opened it , he had to quirk an eyebrow at the contents.

Colourful photos and pictures of many strange seemly mundane subjects were neatly glued in with white boarders , Cloths , houses , maps , various small creatures such as kittens and rabbits.

Thumbing page after page the ancient vampire wondered what the point of this book was ? . Turning the last few pages his lips pursed slightly , many men and boys took up the last few pages , they seemed to be lifted from various magazines and advertisements , there were no single unifying features about them some were of a rough manly variation others were a little more clean cut but they would all be assumed handsome he supposed.

Grinning again ( his theme for the night ) he turned back to Sookie ...he had found her porn collection of sorts , so the girl was not completely unfamiliar with the concept of coupling , this pleased Eric no end

Fighting the urge to rip out the photos and rub himself on her he placed the book on her night stand , he had at least gathered some useful information tonight , if he could get the girl to overcome her fear of him he would gladly show her that flesh and bone ...and fang could do much more for her than plastic and paper .

Surveying the room one last time he glided out and secured the door back in place behind him .

A search of the other rooms yielded little of interest , but that wasn't entirely true everything to do with sookie he found interesting but mainly it was nothing he could turn to his immediate benefit .

Back downstairs he inspected the living room once more and various photo's to ensure he had missed nothing .

In the kitchen he took stock of the food stuffs there and in the fridge , he was not sure what was a normal amount of food for a human to have in stock but he was a little dismayed that there did not seem to be that much , he felt a small twinge at the thought of her going hungry ..was she so slight due to malnutrition ?.

He was aware of the '' Funny man '' thanks to Pam and made a mental note to find out what made this individual so humorous and was he in fact a threat to Sookie . The food situation was like the cloth situation one that would change and change very soon .

Eric had another internal debate about leaving the house unsecured when he left but if he locked the doors she would know someone had been there and as he and Pam were the only individuals who were aware she existed then the list of suspects was short indeed and he would not jeopardise things with her this close to agreeing a willing contract .

Clicking the back door into place he descended the porch steps and strolled into the night , turning back to glance up at little Sookie's window he growled low in his chest

''Soon''

**A/N**

**As ever a great big thank you to all who reviewed or even took the time to read I can't believe how many!**

**...also a I noticed how many reviewers wanted Eric to bite her...you sadistic old lot! (-:**


	25. Chapter 25

**Sorry for the long delay but here is the latest chapter , Will try and post more in the next few days **

**As usual thanks for all the comments and reviews , they were all very much appreciated and keep me wanting to update **

By the time evening had rolled round on the last day of the time given to her by Eric Sookie was still a bubble of uncertainty and nerves , she had spent every waking hour trying to come to some sort of decision regarding the vampires unusual offer .

Sookie had made a list of the pros and cons in her head regarding accepting Eric , on the plus side she would get to see more of Pam and it maybe even fun to spend time outside as long as her friend was there and the number of people were kept to a minimum .

On the con side was Eric himself , Sookie couldn't not help but still be afraid of him . True he hadn't done anything bad last meeting but that hardly put him in the clear for his past actions , he might just be waiting for her to let her guard down or have a mood swing and then she would be back up against the wall with the life being choked out of her .

Even talking to gran hadn't helped as much as it normally would , she always felt calmer after doing it but in this case it had not yielded any useful conclusions' . Sitting in front of the small wooden cross she has made with her own hands the girl had poured out her heart regarding all that was now facing her.

As much as she was afraid of him Sookie couldn't help but think about what Eric had said ...was she Happy? . Now she had someone to talk with she was much happier than she had been , loneliness had been one of her biggest problems but now she had a friend ...should she hope for more ?.

Her home was her world it may not be much it may not be perfect but it was safe ...and maybe that should be enough

As the sky finished its transference form grey to black Sookie sat on her front porch bench awaiting the arrival of her friend

Pam gunned her Audi with reckless abandon down the winding country roads of Bon tomps , but if truth be told she was in no hurry to get to Sookie's , . She had found it hard to think of anything else but the meeting that was due to take place this night for the last two evenings ...Pam was afraid .

She would never admit it of course but there was no sense in bluffing or blustering to herself , she feared how things might turn out this night . A few times she had considered telling Eric about Sookie's ability to shirk off glamour like water off a ducks back but she just didn't know how to phrase it , also she feared Eric's reaction . Not feared in the sense she thought Eric would seriously harm her although she would not be surprised to find herself bent over his desk with her bare rear in the air dealing with the business end of a silver lash , Pam shifted a little in her seat as if her butt cheeks were reliving the last time they had faced that punishment .

But other than a little light torture she knew he would do no lasting damage to her ...no she was afraid of him reneging on his offer and just dragging Sookie kicking and screaming out of her house. Pam now knew in no uncertain terms Eric was infatuated with her little Angel , he had talked about little else and when he did talk about it his eyes were heavy set and determined , there was no doubt he was going to have Sookie ...weather Sookie wanted to be had or not .

This was the real hitch in the whole situation , Eric was determined and always got what he wanted , in the past Pam had seen him come across women who occasionally at first did fight his attractions' but this was very rare Eric had the physical make up of what art scholars would argue was the classic description of a demi god , his good looks paired with a keen mind and a Odin given knack for seduction left the majority of women quivering messes in his wake .

On one of the rare occasions in question in the late 1800's Eric had come across a French Countess of considerable beauty and intellect , Pam had spotted her first on one of their high class hunting trips but had of course graceful bowed out when Eric had clearly been taken with her .

Ever the sportsman when at first this tasty bit of Gallic blue blood had rebuffed her masters advances he had not immediately resorted to glamour , no he went about things in a much more egalitarian way ...he kidnapped her .

Pam smirked at the memory of Eric striding into their lair at the time with a madly kicking and cursing noble lady slung over his shoulder , Pam would hear the countesses' screams of outrage for the first night and the banging of hurled objects clattering round his bedroom but these died off after the second night to low murmurings of slow steady conversation

On the third night it was hard to concentrate for all the screams and shrieks bouncing round the Chateau walls ...they were not screams of rejection.

On the fourth night the Vampire and the human had strolled out arm linked in arm to greet Pam with sated grins of lust and contentment , Pam was properly introduced to her masters new conquest and the younger vampire had actually enjoyed her company a little although she found the dopey love sick looks she shot Eric constantly a bit off putting .

A month later Pam stood watching as Eric finally for the first and only time glamoured the noble , but now it was to help her forget her offers to give up her title and land and all she owned if only she could be with Eric for ever . The vampires were due to leave France and Eric saw no sense in uprooting the women from her family and title and he felt no need to take a pet , the girl had been distraught and eventually glamour had been the only option to give her any kind of peace and sanity.

The sat nave's pings indicating a turn to come brought Pam back to the present , that had been many many years ago now and Sookie was no countess ...but did Eric understand that ? .

Pam had spent a lot more time round the girl than Eric had so she felt a little more able to judge how she might react to certain circumstances' and she had come to one conclusion regarding her possible reaction to a forceful removal from her home...it would break her .

Sookie was utterly unique in many ways and more than just her extra abilities , growing up the way she did had left her a person one did not often meet in this day and age , she was in a way and in the nicest sense of the word a wild animal and Eric was proposing captivity for her .

Sookie was free in spirit and although timid in nature a spark of life surrounded her like a flame , and it was this flame that had drawn Eric and if Pam was honest with herself it had drawn her as well. Was this another of her abilities ? , to enrapture the undead and even worse to be totally unaware she was doing it ? .

A cage however gilded would not suit sookie ...it would no suit her at all .

**( The Blue room lounge in Shreeve port )**

Long shadow lazed back in his seat and surveyed the room from the secluded local of the booth he had taken up residence . The Blue room was a quiet little spot in a back end of Shreeve port the vampire liked to use for his own off the books business dealings , it was quite and secluded and best of all seldom if ever frequented by others of his kind and for the purposes of tonight's meeting that was a huge benefit , the nervous vampire had no doubt what so ever if he was seen with the individual he was due to converse with tonight his long undead life would come to a sudden and very violent stop .

Lifting the glass of red wine to his lips to keep up the pretence he again scanned the room for any signs of danger , turning his eyes towards the door he caught sight of his target .

His vampire associate for the night was making his was slowly and purposely towards him , long shadow took in the older vampire immaculate and crisp grey tailored suit with a brown colored shirt underneath , he stifled a grimace at the gold tie that finished off his outfit .

Reaching the booth his guest tilted his head a little and looked down at him for a moment before gracefully slipping into the seat in front of Long shadow and mimicked the other vampires laid back stance .

'' Hello my Blackfoot friend , all is well I trust ? '' The vampire slid his hand across the table to grasp Long shadows wine glass and brought it to his nose to sniff the vintage .

'' Victor Madden '' Long shadow bowed his head in a slight sign of deference to the more powerful vampire .

A waitress approached the pairs booth and looked expectantly at her new customer the serving girl was in her late twenties and wore a short black skirt with white blouse making the most of her pushed out chest her red hair was tide back in a professional manner , she took in the what she thought was an attractive man with short cropped black hair and strong chin .

Any thoughts the girl had about her new client being relatively attractive were quickly banished as he looked up to meet her gaze and grinned widely exposing two gold plated fangs that now hung low over his bottom lip glinting in the subdued light .

'' Nothing for me my sweet I will not be here long '' Victors voice was like oiled snakes to the girl ears

All slithery and full of malice , his permanently extended fangs gave him a slight hissing lisp that added to the snake analogy .

The waitress backed away slowly and stuttered incomprehensible apologises before scurrying away from the booth .

Long shadow sat up bolt straight and quickly looked around the room to see if anyone had taken note of the fearful exchange but all other clientele seemed still wrapped up in their own dealings.

Leaning in low long shadow hissed '' I came here for PRIVACY , what did you do that for ? ''

Victor's grin dropped off his face like a stone and he mirrored the younger vampire leaning in closer to the table '' I do not explain myself to your like ...is that clear ? '' the word clear was a low rumble and brooked no argument .

Longs shadow leaned back and swallowed nervously before nodding slightly .

Leaning back also Victor quickly resumed his good natured smarmy smile and his voice returned to its normal state '' Have no fear my Indian friend , I rather like the looks of that sow I think I shall ask her for a date on the way out...and I never leave left over's , your little hidey spot will remain safe '' Victor held his hand up to his mouth and mocked whispered that last part grinning widely at the good humour of his own joke .

Flicking his hand at the wrist dismissively Victor crossed his legs at the knee and went into business mode '' Now tell me what you have to report regarding area five and the Northman ? ''

Long shadow spared a quick look around before answering '' Not a lot to tell , all seems peaceful at the moment , there has been some trouble with a vampire at the bar causing injury to a patron but other than the plans for the Halloween ball there is nothing to report ''

Victor huffed and frowned '' I do hope you are still holding up your end of the bargain old sport , I did not inform the Viking about you creative book making skills and in return you feed me juicy tit bits , plans for a party and rough housing in a bar are hardly juicy nor is it a tit bit ''

Long shadow looked down at the table with anxiety and for the hundredth time cursed his ill fortune for his current predicament , he had been happily embezzling money from Fangtasia during the reign of the old regime under Sophie Ann but after the takeover Victor had been appointed head of business liaisons to the new territories De Castro had laid claim on .

The Vampire bar tender enjoyed some level of trust form the sheriff of area five so was able to keep things from him but Victor had quickly uncovered the theft and had forced him into this undesirable arrangement .

Recalling something he had yet to gather further Intel on he looked back up at his tormentor and hoped perhaps it might appease the bastard .

''Well there is one thing I'm working on at the moment but I thought it to early to comment on yet''

Victor perked up at this and cockily clapped his hands together lightly '' Oh goody gum drops , the things that get left out are often the best bits , please go on ''

Long shadow starred at Victor for a moment , if he didn't know what a sadist and extremely powerful individual he was he would find this creature worthy of scorn

There was however nothing laughable about Victor .

'' Well...well a few nights ago Eric had a meeting with some girl and..''

Long shadow stopped dead when he saw the smile fall from Victors face and be replaced by a snarled lip , flicking his tongue over one gold fang Victor leaned in .

'' Please do not tell me you are about to regale me with tales of the Northman's Cock and its adventures because that would ensue me reaching across this table and snatching your eyes out your FUCKING HEAD ''

Victor had been gripping one corner of the table and it was now a splintered mess in his hand , Long shadow starred at him with fearful wide eyes he didn't even care that people were now looking over at them and those on closer tables had gotten up to move away .

Stammering the younger vampire shook his head quickly '' No wait please there is more ! ''

'' More ?...'' Victor repeated with a thoughtful look tilting his head once more in a fashion Long shadow thought made him look even crazier than he really was

Sitting back again Victor raised a hand to his mouth blowing particles of table to his left in a little cloud of saw dust and splinters , a quick scan round the room had all the customers who had looked up at the noisy exchange ducking fast so not to be caught staring .

The happy grin back in place as if he had not just been promising violent mutilation Victor placed his hands clasped back in his lap and regarded Long shadow again .

'' Well if there is more than that's alright then '' The cheery tone was back and Long shadow briefly wondered if angry Victor was preferable to disturbingly peppy Victor .

'' Yes well last Wednesday Pam contacted me to say that Fangtasia would be closed for the night unexpectedly and I was not required to come in , this of course pricked my interest so I came anyway under the pretence of feeding off one of the sluts working there . I could not garner much but I know he met with a young girl and Pam for a short time and them Pam escorted her out again , what I can't understand is what would make him close the club for the sake of a twenty minute meeting with some human , a human as far as I could tell he did NOT fuck or feed off ''

Victor chewed his lip a little listening to Long shadows tale , this was slightly odd behaviour for a Vampire sheriff , to close his business meant to lose money and that was a big deal to Eric he knew this from experience .

Mistakenly taking Victors silence for losing his interest Long shadow began again '' Eric has also seemed a little preoccupied of late , I have no idea if the two are related but to lose money by closing just to meet with ..''

Victor held up his hand to silence the chattering Vampire '' I'm aware of the implications thank you , be silent I'm trying to think '' long shadow quickly clamped his mouth shut and hoped for the best .

Victor frowned and mumbles to himself '' What are you up to Eric? , what has you so interested in a girl other than screwing her ? '' Drumming his fingers on the table Victor seemed lost in his own little world until Long shadow interrupted his musings .

'' Eric closed the club again tonight '' He blurted out

Victors eyes shot up to meet Long shadows and a feral smile spread across his face '' Well then I think maybe you should take the time to put in a little extra work tonight , clean the ashtrays do a stock count , polish his knob I don't care but I want to know what all these super secret little get together are about ...are we clear ? ''

Long shadow swallowed and nodded he understood although he had no other idea how he was going to go about it , Pam had quickly ejected him and Ginger when they had been discovered the last time , he doubted he could get away with that excuse again .

'' Well don't just sit there staring at me like a caught fish you idiot , go go go , I want news the next time we meet ''

The bartender didn't need a second dismissal he was more than thankful to get away from Victor , slipping out of the booth he glided quickly out towards the back fire door and was gone before any human in the place could register movement .

Victor sat in down time now alone in the back booth and pondered tonight's information , multiple scenarios were knocking round his twisted mind , perhaps the Sheriff was going make a new child ?

But it seems unlikely he would hold some sort of half assed interview for that , a new business dealing ..maybe a new venture ? ...But why close the club ?

If he didn't really as Long shadow had said fuck her or feed from her than what was there left to do with a human Sow ? .

Victor dearly hoped that whatever this was about it was something he could take to the King and finally be rid of the fucking Northman , the Viking had been a thorn in his ass a few times over the years before the take over and had dearly hoped that the King would allow him to end him once they took over but Felipe had been insistent on keeping him alive . Eric had been a cash cow for Sophie Ann and Felipe wanted to milk him now .

Eric was a road block to his own ambitions and future plans , a Vampire as Old as Felipe and older than him self .

Eventually Victor was forced to drop it lest it seem a little suspicious that he was pushing for his final death so hard , but of course he had gone to great lengths for any signs of treachery on Eric's behalf but sadly it seemed there was none to be found . Victor could have gone to the king with news of Long Shadows disloyalty and perhaps convinced him that this was a sign that Eric was slipping but it most likely would have just ended with Long Shadows death and a little lost face for Eric , Victor wanted Eric to lose face...but in the literal sense and with victor getting to keep the ripped off visage as a crude mask to wear when he fucked Pam into the next world ...yeah Victor hated Pam as well .

Standing up Victor smoothed out the cresses in his suit trousers and had a last quick look round , his eyes settled in a predatory way on the red headed waitress who had approached them before , she was taking orders at another table by the bar , grinning he sauntered out the bar whistling a happy little tune .

**(Sookie's House) **

Despite her hard day of soul searching Sookie still shot out to meet Pam with her normal gusto once she had pulled up in front of her house , skipping down the front steps Sookie made her way round to the driver's side and accosted Pam with a hug as soon as she had left the vehicle .

Pam had yet to have the Vampires prefer not to be touched talk with Sookie and kept meaning to bring it up if the girl was going to be spending more time round Vampires she needed to know she could not go round hugging them , but the more Sookie did it the less put out Pam was about it...she even enjoyed it a little .

And of course that Sookie smelt incredible and the feeling of her boobs pressing against her own was pretty nice also meant she was in no rush .

'' Hi Pam '' Sookie piped up cheerily

'' Hello Sookie , I trust you have been well '' Pam was hiding it a lot better than Sookie but she had missed her friend these last two days .

'' mmmm..I'm good I guess , so I suppose we have to go now right ? '' The question was in a light tone but Pam could hear the hope maybe they didn't have to go at all .

'' Yes Eric is waiting for us , the club is closed so we shall not be disturbed '' Pam hoped she sounded like this wasn't a big deal

'' Well ...well lets go '' Sookie to Pam's amusement didn't walk round the car to get to the passengers door but simply jumped in the drivers side and wiggled over the steering wheel to take her seat .

Taking her own seat Pam started the engine and began the painful process of turning and making their way back down Sookie's dirt road of a drive way .

For a time the pair sat in silence and Pam noted that Sookie was not her normal playful self , she didn't press any of the buttons or fiddle with any of the knobs the car had to offer .

Pam had not intended to ask the big question that was hanging over them like the elephant in the room but now in the confines of the car and with Sookie sitting next to her she couldn't hold out

'' Sookie what have you decided ? '' Pam could have looked at the little human and driven safely but for some reason she found it easier to face the road for this talk .

'' I think I have to ask Eric some more things first...do you think that will make him mad ? '' Sookie fidgeted and rubbed her hands together , her fear of Eric was still very real , he was one person she did not want to make mad .

'' No he will not be mad at you for asking questions Sookie ...Eric wants this to work he wants to help you so he will not shout at you or hurt you of that I can assure you , he will however expect an answer tonight Sookie ...do you at least have an idea what that answer will be ?'' this time Pam did spare a look at her Angel .

Sookie was looking into her lap like she thought the answer to the meaning of life might be there , a frown present on her face . Pam didn't like it when Sookie frowned...it didn't seem to look right on her face .

For a moment there was just the noise of the engine before the human spoke up '' I think that's going to depend on the answers to the questions I have ''

Sensing that it was not wise to push any further Pam let them settle back into a quite ride the rest of the journey .

**( Fangtasia )**

Eric was impatient for his child and Sookie to get there , sitting behind his imposing oak desk he flipped through some paper work with mild interest , stock and share reports were not really what he wanted in front of him tonight .

Again Eric took the time to appreciate the feelings he was having ...excitement ...anticipation ...uncertainty?

He wasn't sure he enjoyed the last one so much but everything else was a welcome change from boredom and slightly less boredom , if you live a thousand years you get to look at anything new as a event worthy of being savoured .

Of course as eager as he was for tonight's meeting Eric was still grounded in reality , not all of his hopes would come to fruition tonight...not unless Sookie marched in said yes to his every request announced she was his and his alone and demanded he take her home this minute to teach her everything he had picked up about sex in the last thousand years...but one can always hope .

A subtle pull in his chest let Eric know that Pam was now very close and with her would be Sookie

Standing her cleared the desk of any sensitive material and quickly pulled off his current t-shirt to slip on a short sleeve dark blue shirt , Eric had noted this colour seemed to be the one predominately worn by the men in her imaginary suitors scrap book '' Cant hurt '' he commented to himself .

A knock at the door got his attention back to the matter at hand , sitting slightly on the corner of his desk he bade '' Enter ''

Pam sauntered in first before turning and holding the door open for their guest , and there was Sookie

Eric stifled a growl at the now familiarly teasing scent that wafted around the girl where ever she went .

Standing slowly he held out an arm for Sookie to take the seat in front of his desk , for a moment the little human looked at the couch Pam had taken a seat on and Eric cursed to himself that he hadn't thrown that fucking thing out the window .

But Sookie surprised all in the room but excepting the offered seat and slowly settle herself into it , although she did shuffle it back a few inches away from the desk and Eric

Eric still smiled , baby steps as they say he repeated to himself .

'' Thank you for coming again Sookie it's a pleasure to see you as always '' Eric was keeping his voice low in the manner Pam had instructed him .

Sookie bobbed her head awkwardly '' mmmm...thank you..Eric '' Sookie blinked a few times and quickly looked to where Pam was sitting as if she had just realised something '' Is it alright if I call you Eric ?...Sorry I should have asked ''

Pam grinned and chimed in with '' Would you prefer to call him master Sookie ? '' Chuckling at her own joke

Eric scowled and opened his mouth to rebuke his progeny before his ears perked up to a sound he had yet to hear before

Sookie was laughing

Looking back to the Telepaths sure enough she was giggling away , her hand was cupped to her mouth in an odd way , Eric had not seen anyone do that before and wished she would take it away as he wanted to see her smile

The laugh was extremely enjoyable anyway , it was light and sounded like a wind chime type noise , feminine but not an annoying girly giggle like he had come to loathe from some of the pathetic creatures who seemed to think men or vampires would be encouraged by their amused guffaws every time they said something .

Sookie noticed Eric staring at her and thought perhaps he was upset she was laughing so she quickly wiped the smile off her face and looked down at her hands as she twisted them together

Eric frowned at her reaction to his attention and almost reached out to tip her chin back up and look at him again , he didn't want fear from her...but that would have to be worked on .

Sighing audibly witch got him a raised eyebrow from Pam who had been watching there little exchange , Eric made his way back round his desk and settled into his leather chair .

Steepling his fingers together Eric leaned back a little '' So Sookie ...what have you got to tell me?''

**(Out side the Blue room Lounge)**

Laura Quinn groaned heavily as she slung her purse over her shoulder , it had been a long hard evening and she was more than ready to get home to her boyfriend , the thought of one of Michael's world famous foot rubs as he jokingly called them lifted her spirits a little , as was the thought of the playful touching that usually ensued when she played up to it by moaning and groaning , the whole deal usually ended in some pretty sweet tired after work slow sex that seemed to always unknot all her muscles .

The tips had been pretty poor today and some over dressed lush has accidently tipped vodka all over her tights at one point so in general it had been a hard shift , not to mention her encounter with the creepy guy with the seriously twisted idea of cosmetic dentistry , shivering a little as she recalled his voice she steeled herself for the walk to the bust stop .

Laura might have been forgiven for failing to notice the figure emerging from the alley opposite the Blue lounge dark as it was and tired as she felt , but in reality she never stood a chance as the black form moved as silent as the grave .

The girl barely had time to register the feel of the arm that had snaked its way round her waist before she was pulled back at what seemed a blurring speed into the darkness .

One moment she was on her feet and the next she landed on a leather seat with a startled groan as all the air whooshed out her lungs , turning she saw the black form slam the door of the limo she had now somehow found herself .

Before Laura could recover enough to scream any protest he was one her , one cold hand clamped over her mouth muffling her screams into feeble whimpers , she smelt tanned leather and something clinical on the figure who now covered her own body with his own , her eyes adjusted a little to the subdued lights in the vehicle but just as she was thankful for being able to see a little better ...she wished she couldn't see anything at all .

'' Hello again Sow , so nice to smell you again '' it was the oily snake voice

Laura's arms attempted to thrash but she was held fast by the hand clamped painfully over her mouth and another attached to the arm underneath her that was keeping her pressed breathlessly tight against the man she did not know to be Victor Madden .

'' You know I've changed my mind ...I think I would like a drink , now I know your off duty but you strike me as the type of girl who takes pride in her work '' quick as a flash the vampire yanked the unfortunate girls blouse down with a rip sending popped off buttons showering around the limo's back seat , her brassiere was likewise also treated to the same treatment and to her horror the hand was quickly replaced hard and fast over her mouth

'' my my these are quite nice aren't they '' Victor grinned evilly down at his prey taking no end of perverse joy at the terror in her pretty eyes '' Would you mind if I sampled them ?''

Laura squealed and moaned through Victors hand unable to take her eyes off the gold fangs that hung from his mouth '' I shall take that as a no then ''

Faster than she could follow Victor dipped his head to her left breast and began licking and nibbling on her nipple , the sensation was stomach churning as the cold tongue toyed with her

The feeling of utter disgust was quickly replaced with agonising pain as she felt something sharp and piercing enter her breast , there was a crunching noise and if not for Victors hand Laura would have screamed like she never had before .

Victor whipped his head back and brought his gaze to the girls , he wanted her to see this ...it was his favourite part

Nightmares and her worse fears could not prepare her for what she was looking at now

Hanging limply between golden fangs and gory teeth was a nipple ...her bloody and torn nipple .

A new wave of frantic twisting and turning gripped the terrified girl but Victor would not allow any of that , keeping his eyes locked with her hers he brought his tongue out to swipe the bloody mass back into his mouth and began to lazily and slowly chew it on it , never once loosing eye contact .

Laura was repeating all the prayers she had ever heard of any faith she knew in her head...this could not be real...this was a nightmare .

Victor swallowed his mouthful with a low exaggerated moan and as if reading her mind smiled wickedly '' Yes I'm very real and you are very really here ''

As if to punctuate his point once again the hand round her mouth blurred away and was swung with force up the pinned girls dress , Laura managed half a scream before Victors mouth was on hers stifling her noise as his hand snaked its way up to rip her underwear off .

Victor chewed and gnawed at the girls mouth like an animal slurping up the spilt blood thrusting his tongue into her mouth but allowing a good portion to run down her cheek...he liked the sight of it , it excited him even more .

Crude and harsh fingers made brutal ministrations on Laura's sex , ripping and tearing with no real rhythm or reason...just to bring her pain .

Flinging his head back once again Victor's eyes rolled in his head , the girl moaned freely now but the blood in her mouth and damage to her tongue and lips made screaming hard , removing his hand and ensuring his victim once again looked only at him as he loamed over her he brought his bloody hand to his waiting mouth and began to suck the fingers one by one slurping in a grotesque manner

'' Shhhh little one '' Victor mockingly stroked her hair as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear

'' Me and you...have all night ''

The sleek stretch limo rocked almost in a gentle fashion from side to side for the outside , muffled noises gave no clue as to what was going on inside , the black and mostly empty night carried on with oblivion with only a seldom lone drunken figure making their way home breaking the still of the air .

Across town Michael was drawing a bath in the humble little apartment he shared with his girlfriend he was adding extra oils just the way Laura liked it , she would want a foot rub when she got home , he wanted to hear about her day .


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello all again **

**Think I'm back in the swing of this now so will try to keep updates a bit more frequent **

**A quick note before we get into it , someone sent me a PM for a slight ticking off regarding the last chapter saying I should have maybe put a quick note warning about the Laura/Victor scene . They are probably right so will try and do that next time the content gets a bit harsh I deff have no desire to offended any of my readers , it's not going to come up to much as I'm not a massive fan of the old sexual violence in story's , I hope it didn't come across as to gratuitous but I wanted to get the message across the Victor is a very BAD man and sadism is very much part of my take on his character so I couldn't do that by having him kick a kitten , I hope I injected a little life into the victim as I didn't want it to read as ''Victor rapes and kills random nameless fangbanger then chuckles about it...the end '' , plus when Sookie and Victor do eventually cross paths I wanted to generate a real sense of fear as to what he is capable . The Victor character has much a part to Play in Sookie's growth as Pam or Eric . **

**Anyway enough of that , On with the show **

Pam watched the scene before her with bated breath ( if she needed to breath ). She couldn't recall the last time if indeed there ever was a time she was so conflicted , Eric was her master her father and mentor she would gladly lay down her life for him and she knew in the back of her mind he would do the same for her so normally it was a no brainer who's side she was on .

But now...now things were far more complex , horrible scenarios of being put in the position of choosing between Sookie and Eric were flitting through her mind , the thing that made it really horrible was she knew if push came to shove she would choose Eric but the thought of standing aside as Sookie begged for help generated a tight strange feeling in her chest ...this was all too human for her liking .

Sookie looked like David facing goliath as the young girl sat in front of Eric's desk

'' So Sookie...what have you come to tell me then '' Eric was keeping his poker face on and to any casual observer you would think he had no stake in this at all .

Sookie squirmed a little in the chair and rubbed her hands together in her normal stress reaction , she looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't seem to get it out .

''Mmmmm...Could Pam wait outside for a minute ?...please '' Sookie looked from Eric to Pam as nether of them had moved both vampires seemed to be trying to figure if they heard that right .

Pam shifted in her seat first and started to speak '' Sookie what..''

''Pam could you check outside for a moment I can hear long Shadow out there , would you be so kind as to ask why he is here '' Eric had not lifted his gaze form the young girl before him .

Pam got to her feet but seemed to sway , unsure of what to do next until Sookie reached out for her hand , Pam stared at it for a moment before slipping her own into the little one offered .

''I will be fine Pam...I just...need to ask something ...il tell you later..Ok?'' Pam continued to stare down at her little angel unsure of what might be going through her head , Eric's voice snapped her out of her thoughts .

'' Pam please close the door on your way out '' Her masters voice had more base in it this time , she knew he meant what he said .

Walking slower than her usual pace Pam made her way out and turned once outside to look back into the room once more , Sookie was looking back at her and Eric was looking at Sookie .

Clearing her throat Pam spoke low but loud enough for Sookie to hear '' I will be outside when you need me '' and with that closed the door silently .

Pam lent against the door frame for a minute to gather herself , that had taken her by surprise ...she just hoped her friend knew what she was doing .

Back in the office Eric studied the small girl in front of him in minute detail , she still had her tiny hands twisted in her lap and seemed in no hurry to get started , he took some time to just appreciate some of his favourite bits of her , the way her hair almost shined in the light as her blond ringlets twitched and swayed when she moved her head , her delicate looking throat bobbed and moved as she swallowed and even the tiny movements of her jugular as blood he very much wanted to partake of circulated round her diminutive frame .

The vampire had made his way down to her chest before her voice broke the silence .

'' I'm not sure I trust you...but if I ask ...will you tell me the truth ? '' Sookie's tone was still small but Eric detected a certain amount of steel to it he found himself liking...even if what she was saying was not exactly what he wanted to hear .

Leaning forward in his chair he rested his arms on the desk and tiled his head a little , She was looking at him now and even though he could not see her eyes due to the accursed glasses he knew she was holding his gaze , this was an impressive feat as few could find it in themselves to lock eyes with an immortal for very long .

''I always tell the truth sookie , I'm sorry if I have given you reason to think otherwise but rest assured I always tell the truth , I may not inform you of all the facts if I do not see fit but I will never deliberately give you false information , on this you can count on ''

Sookie pondered his words for a moment , she knew his answer had room for a bit of manoeuvring on his part but his voice sounded sincere and that might have to be enough .

Taking time to quickly examine her hands again Sookie returned to face her protagonist for the evening once more

'' If I say no...no to your offer , can I still see Pam ...would you stop us being friends ? ''

Eric glanced down at his desk and answered without looking at the girl '' I have never controlled my Childs actions beyond those that dealt with her well being and safety , often makers will exert I believe an unhealthy amount of control over their charges , this is not the way I do things for wrong or right Pam is here own and always has been ..in this I have always been consistent ''

Eric leaned back again to settle into his chair once more before beginning again

''I take it this means you have decided to decline my offer ...that is unfortunate as I ..''

Sookie chimed in interrupting the Vampire '' I accept your offer ''

Eric paused and was about to say more when the Sookie started up again

'' I'm not sure I trust you...I'm afraid of you and you've hurt me before ...maybe you didn't mean it I'm not sure but my Gran always told me if someone lies to you once or hurts you once they will probably do it again...but I don't want to lose my friend now I finally have one ...and Pam says you're not evil...so I trust Pam in this , but if it's alright I want to take things one day at a time , like I said you scare me and I've survived on my own this long by avoiding what scares me ''

Eric was unsure if to be pleased or pissed off , she had said yes but basically told him she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him and she was still scared to be in the same room as him .

'' Let me ask you something Sookie...if I scare you so much why did you ask Pam to leave ? ''

The vampire was genuinely curious about this despite being a little put out by their conversation

'' Because...because you're like Pam's ...dad aren't you ? '' Sookie had not been sure how else to describe there relationship as she felt funny using words like protégé and sire .

Eric chuckled despite himself at the girls description of a child maker bond '' Yes I suppose I am ..but not in the terms as you would understand the word , but I get your meaning I am in effect her father yes ''

Sookie nodded happy at least she was close to getting it correct

'' That's way I asked her to wait outside ...it's not fair on her ...she's my friend but I know she has to do what you say..I didn't want her to have to listen to us talk ...she thinks I don't know but it bothers her ''

Eric chuckled at first but then leaned his head back to laugh loudly a deep rumbling noise to Sookie's ears .

Taking a moment to compose himself Eric levelled his gaze once again to face his guest , was there no end to how interesting this girl was ?

Rising slowly as to keep things low key Eric carefully made his was round the desk to stand before Sookie , keeping note of her breathing he pondered this rather novel situation . Agonisingly slow he raise his hand to the girls cheek maintaining his gingerly movements as to not startle the object of his effect ion .

Sookie contemplated shying away but found herself unable to break the cordial mood that seemed to have settled between them , again she wondered about the fact that she had assumed that the vampires touch would be harsh ...perhaps recalling the first time he had laid hands upon her , but as Eric stroked the back of his hand across her cheek ...it was soft .

Allowing a smile to tease the corner of his mouth at her positive reaction ( well positive for them ) her revelled in the feeling of the telepaths skin on his , enjoying the heat her flesh radiated into his cold skin , not for the first time he wondered what it would feel like to press as much of his large frame against her diminutive one as physics would allow .

'' You're a brave little one aren't you ? '' Eric had meant the statement more for his benefit than hers , simply expressing his own mind aloud , but it was the human who answered it .

Sookie almost choked out the word '' Brave '' parroting it back to him

Keeping his slow ministrations on her cheek as he was unwilling as yet to break the contact Eric quirked an eye brow as he detected the disbelief in her voice .

'' You do not agree with me ? ''

Sookie found herself leaning into the large hand caressing her face a little out of desire to keep the unusual feeling of skin on skin , it was not an everyday occurrence to her , years of isolation had often left her dreaming of something so small as a handshake or a hug ...or a kiss

'' I'm not brave ...I'm scared of almost everything...like you ''

Her admission of her fear of him prickled as much almost every time she confessed it but Eric let it slide for now , if anything it proved the point he was about to make .

'' You think bravery is having no fear? . I can assure you Sookie that it is not , no there is a word for having no fear...it's called stupidity , and I have no respect for that . Bravery is to have fear but act anyway , you feared the unknown but you still aided Pam on the road , you feared Fangtasia and those who dwelt in it but still ventured forth to again aid you friend ''

Stooping from his great height Eric brought his lips close enough to tickle Sookie's ear a little as his deep voice whispered slightly in respect of the distance that now separated the two unlikely individuals .

'' You fear me by your own admission...yet here you are ''

Standing again to his full height the vampire tucked a stray hair behind the girls ear and now no longer suppressed the smile that had before teased his face , to Sookie it looked oddly...pleasing

'' To my definition this is bravery Sookie ...and I look forward to the day you no longer have to face me with bravery , I look forward to the day you no longer feel the need to fear me ''

Sookie herself was unsure if and when that day would come but said nothing in response , the vampires confidence in himself was almost awe inspiring to her timid nature and she could see what Pam meant when she said if Eric said he could do something he could do it .

Settling himself back down at his desk Eric rummaged quickly through one of the side draws and produced a thick folder , thumbing open the beige protector he slipped out a few sheets of paper and let them slap onto his desk .

'' This is a standard contract of employment I have with all my staff Sookie , Human or otherwise . I find it helps to have everything in black and white and saves any difficulties regarding aspects of duties to be performed , now in your case this is somewhat of a prickly pear ''

Sookie was uncertain what a prickly pear was but it didn't sound very good , clearing her throat she sat up a little in her chair she wanted Eric to know she was taking this all seriously .

'' mmmm Is there a problem ? '' She didn't want problems this quickly after agreeing to his offer

'' Well yes there is a bit of a problem with you signing a legal document because you for all intent and purposes are legally...well ..dead ''

The telepath had to admit she hadn't thought of that

'' So ...I cant work for you then ? '' If this had all been for nothing she was thinking she would have been better off staying at home

Eric smirked a little at her expression , it was cute when she crinkled her nose like that , like a pissed off kitten

'' No it just means we are going to have to as the humans say ' Wing it ' a little with you , for now we will keep things informal , and as you have voiced a desire to take things slowly then this is not such a bad thing , however at some point the question of your legal lividity is going to come up ...but we will cross that bridge when we come to it ''

For the next half hour Eric lay down the details of the training slash employment she would be going through , Sookie would be expected to attend Fangtasia one night on one night off for the next two weeks , in that time they would work on her Grans earlier work of helping her if possible make her Telepathy a little easier to deal with . The actual value of her reading customers in Fangtasia Eric was up front about to her , it was most unlikely she would provide anything of real value in this time , her assistance with the attempted bombing was a freak occurrence and highly unlikely to ever happen again , although Eric in the back of his mind was thinking more along the lines of if there was in fact a god/gods he may not have lived a completely corrupt life as to be rewarded with this little gift being dropped in his lap .

Sookie had not asked but Eric had raised the point of her being compensated for her time , the girl was very happy to just keep things on a pro bono basis but Eric had been adamant she would be paid for her time even if it was just technically training , the Vampire wanted to demonstrate he could be a very desirable employer ...among other things .

He had yet to provide Sookie with the full details of her own wealth as discovered by Bobby but felt now was not the right time , although he had no doubt the girl had savey he didn't want to overload her and possibly touch on the sensitive subject of her family's death , likewise he also left out any questions regarding her living relative although he fully intended to make an issue of that at a later date , if she was lying to him he needed to make her understand that this was not acceptable to him and may have some harsh repercussions ...his pets did not lie to him .

Pet might not be the best description in Eric's mind but she was in essence his now and there would be no going back despite his little fallacies regarding taking things one step at a time , he was happy to do this as long as the steps led forward and eventually into his bed .

After a few more minutes of Q&A regarding working conditions in witch Eric did most of the talking they were close to wrapping things up , Sookie was feeling more than a little tired and was ready to perhaps start making her way home with Pam , she also didn't like leaving her friend outside to long lest she think she didn't trust her witch she did a thousand times more than Eric .

Eric for his part had gone over the last few bits on auto pilot , he had a much more urgent question in his mind that had been nagging him for far too long and he was going to take care of that right now .

Stepping out from his desk once more he made his way round to his former position in front of the girl , perching on his desk he much preferred it here where he could enjoy her smell directly under his nose and even though it was technically detrimental to his end goal he also enjoyed that her heart picked up a few beats when he was this close to Sookie and that gorgeous looking vein in her throat throbbed a little more with each quick breath , he was sincere in his desire to end her fear of him but he was after all a predator and all predators enjoyed the scent of fear on their prey .

Resisting the urge to touch her face again Eric allowed his eyes to linger a little bit before talking

'' Sookie...remove your glasses ''

**( Main Bar , Fangtasia )**

Long shadow had made a show of pulling out as many of the box's of stock as he could and arranging them on the bar , he needed some sort of cover as to why he was here . There was no ginger here tonight and besides the feeding excuse would not fly twice he was fairly sure

His Vampire ears had picked up the arrival of Pam and the mysterious human again , the wind behind the staff door and the unblocked corridor had this time also carried a bit of her sent to the main bar as well and it was mouth watering ! .

Panic had arisen momentarily when he started to rethink that perhaps that the visitor was after all nothing more than rare vintage fuck and feed for the sheriff , but after getting a good whiff he began to dissect the smell bit by bit till he hit something that shot a hole in that idea ...Virgin .

Long shadow had never pegged the Viking for one who hunted for maidenhead and even if he was just trying something new for the girl to smell that god damn good and leave after her first visit with her flower intact meant there had to be more to this than meets the eye .

A few moments after the office door closed Long shadow allowed the occupants to get comfortable and began silently as he could to get in ear shot of the discussion taking place within , he desperately needed to be able to give something to that psycho Madden or it very well may all be over for him .

Edging stealthily to the far end of the bar he came to a stop just at the entrance to the corridor that led to Eric office , straining he could just about pick up what was being spoken , he could hear Eric's deep voice mixed with Pam's and a far smaller sounding voice he assumed must be the human , he found himself wanting very much to put a face and body to that smell and voice .

Pushing his hearing to the maximum as he was he just about picked out his own name from the conversation and had time to race back to behind the bar as he heard someone exit the office and make their way to the bar .

The light step and heel click told him instantly it was Pam , her Chimmy choos almost always sounded like tap dancing when she walked .

Pam emerged for the door a few seconds later with what Long shadow for a second would have described as troubled look , he could not begin to think what would trouble an acid bitch like Pam but just as fast as it had come it left and once more she wore her usual stern expression of distaste that seemed to be painted on her .

'' I assume that your command of the English language has not taken a knock as of late Longshaow?''

Pam came to a stop in front of the bar and rested one hand on the counter to drum her immaculately manicured and ruby red painted nails on the surface .

Before the vampire bartender could reply Pam continued on with a slightly raised level and antagonised look in her eyes

'' Because one would be forgiven for thinking that was the case due to this being the second occasion that you have been given instructions in the plain queens English that seems to have gone completely over your head , do you now require orders to be given in Black foot ? , if that's the case then I think we have a problem as I have no desire to learn how to fucking speak it ''

Long shadow grit his teeth to prevent his fangs from descending , he was equal in age to Pam but she still spoke to him like crap most of the time , her status as Eric's child elevated her a little but she still over reached herself he thought , suppressing any antagonistic comments considering the position he was in Long shadow kept his voice low and disinterested .

'' I had some free time so I am catching up on some work behind the bar , stock needs to be rotated and most of the human gimps we seem to hire can barley spell their own name never mind tell dates apart '' This was subtle dig at Pam who was responsible for most of the hiring .

Pam scowled and ceased her finger drumming '' I did not ask about the bar stock I asked if you were now unable to follow simple commands , you were told that Fangtasia was closed tonight and off limits yet here you are ...again! '' .

Long shadow barked back his calm demeanour forgotten '' There is no one here PAM what is the point of letting a night go to waste , I have wealth invested in the operation as well ''

Stalking out from behind the bar Long shadow cast his arms out into the room in a pantomime fashion ''Just who the hell am I disturbing ? , if you and Eric have a little feeding fest going on than its no business of mine ''

A thought occurred to the bartender that in hindsight was perhaps not the best idea , he was hoping perhaps that if he made allusions to the human occupant in the office perhaps Pam in her annoyance might let something slip , this in mind he quickly added

'' But from the smell of the cunt maybe I would be allowed to have the left over's when your...''

As Long shadow had correctly pointed out Pam and he were of a similar age with perhaps a decade of so to separate them ...but Pam was FAST .

In a blink of an eye Pam had her slender hand locked round his throat and was slamming his head backwards to meet the hard surface of the bar , Long shadow was forced to bend amid drift to prevent his spine from snapping at the waist .

Long shadows Fangs snapped out to meet Pam's , growling he clawed at her hand to release him but the awkward nature of his position gave her the advantage in grip

Snarling inch's from his face Pam's expression promised murder '' BITE YOUR TOUNGUE IDAIAN ''

Easing her grip but not releasing him completely Pam's voice dropped to a low hiss '' The Master shall hear of this disobedience cur , you would be wise to remember your place and follow orders , what go's on in the masters office when you are not called is no concern of yours and those who are invited when you are not are doubly not your concern , speak of her again and I will defang you with a corkscrew '' .

Long shadow was beyond livid a hundred painful deaths he would love to inflict upon Pam flashed through his undead mind but for the moment he would need to bide his time , clenching his jaw so hard his teeth creaked in protest he ground out his words '' Yes...yes I understand ''

Slowly Pam leaned back and released her vice like grip from around his neck and stepped back allowing him some space all the while preparing herself for attack , Eric had taught her well to always be ready for retaliation and never turn your back on an opponent .

Breathing some of the fire out of his lungs Long shadow turned and stalked towards the front door , muttering under his breath all the while he vowed this insult would not go without answer . He turned once at the exit threshold and gave Pam a mocking bow before sweeping out into the night

Pam gazed hard at the door before walking behind the bar to grab a bottle of B+ from the self , popping the lid off with her thumb she glugged half the contents cold before flinging the bottle into the sink with a loud crash . She scolded herself a little for her actions , she could have handled the matter a little more delicately but she could not bring herself to be too hard , Long shadows uncouth words regarding her Angel had razed a fire under her in the manner normally only brought out for defence of Eric .

''Fucking inbred '' She muttered to herself before slipping onto a bar stool to shift into down time for a bit , she dearly wanted to know what was going on in the office ...she wanted Sookie to be alright .

**( Eric's Office )**

Back in the office very much in Pam's Mind the Angel in question felt a little jolt of panic start at the base of her back and work its way up , stuttering her words Sookie repeated Eric's words back at him

'' My...my Glasses ...b...but why '' She had unconsciously used her heels to shift the chair back a little and away from Eric , she was scared he would try and make a grab for her , although thinking rationally if he wanted to do this having seen the speed he could move then there was no way she could stop him , but this thought only made her more afraid .

'' Is it not a simple request ? ...why do you even where them ? '' Eric was a little puzzled when the girls pulse had rocketed and her body seem to take on a mind of its own to get some distance between them , his hunters instinct screamed at him to not allow her to put space between them but he held back , he didn't want to undue there slight progress tonight ...he did however want an answer .

Quicker than he would have given her credit Sookie had scrambled out of the chair and without turning backed away a few steps '' Th...the light ...I don't like the light '' her stuttering had gotten worse and she seemed unwilling to hold Eric's gaze as she had done before .

'' I can turn the light off if you wish , then you can remove them . I can see just as well in the dark ''

The thought of being plunged into the dark with Eric in the room felt as appealing as appearing before him naked and perhaps even worse , now Sookie really was panicked .

'' No...no please I don't want to ...please , I want to go home now ...can Pam come back now '' the telepath had been backing up more with each word , by the time she had said Pam's name her back had nudged into the Door .

Sookie made the mistake of blinking so when she opened her eyes again Eric was in front of her , slapping both hands over her mouth she smothered the scream in her lungs before it spilt out into the room . Sookie was no longer panicked now Sookie was afraid

'' Anyone would think perhaps you were hiding something Ms Stackhouse ...are you hiding something ? '' The Vampires voice was velvet smooth to her ears but with her heart hammering in her chest it may as well have been a growl , visions of slamming into her door frame at home flashed through her mind causing her to whimper a little , dropping her hands from her mouth she looked to the floor for assistance .

Eric raised his hand to cup the girls chin and gently raise her head to look up at him , he allowed his thumb to play a little with the smooth skin of her cheek relishing the feel

'' We both know I could just take them from you...it would be to your eyes as if they just disappeared ...but I think you would hold this against me wouldn't you ? ...I have other ways I could go about it , but I have made a little promise to myself I wouldn't unless there was no other choice ...you are sure you do not wish to remove them ? ''

A barley visible shake of her head was the only answer Sookie could bring herself to make , her voice seemed to have vanished .

Eric sighed and backed away a little to allow some of the air back into the girl , she had turned a slightly pale pallor and he found he did not care for it

'' We shall have this as a little show of faith between us then yes ..., I will at some point again ask you to remove them ..and now I'm quite sure you have something interesting under there I look forward to it , if I have earned your trust you will do so ''

Again the power of speech still seemed to have abandoned the girl so a small nod was all Sookie could muster .

Eric smiled broadly '' I think we have had our ups and downs tonight haven't we little one , I hope things will settle into a more comfortable pattern for both of us , in answer to your question yes you may return home now ''

Flipping a small switch atop a small black box on his desk Eric once again perched slightly on its corner , less than a few seconds latter Sookie was almost bowled over by Pam opening the door with no small gusto , the female vampire bowed her head a little to Eric and sided up to her friend , she did take note of the slight tremble Sookie had but said nothing

'' Pam Sookie has agreed to my proposal and will shortly be joining us here at Fangtasia on a more regular basis , but for now she is tired and I think would benefit greatly from a good night's sleep ''

Pam bowed again and taking Sookie's hand guided her towards the door as she seemed to be in somewhat of a trance , after a few steps Sookie stiffened and resisted to turn back towards Eric

''mmm...th...thank you Eric '' Vampire hearing was essential to pick up her words as small as they were

Stepping forward Eric reached down for her hand and much like their last meeting brought it to his lips , committing the wild flower smell to memory once again . Quick as a hummingbird and disguised by the kiss his tongue darted out to take the smallest taste of her skin

Raising his head once again but not releasing her hand Eric smiled '' You are welcome Sookie ''

Backing off once more Sookie joined Pam waiting at the door but before following after her friend she quickly turned and once again in a small voice addressed Eric once more

''I...I like your shirt by the way...it's a nice colour ''

Crossing his arms over his broad chest Eric dipped his head slightly with a grin '' I wore it with you in mind ''

Blushing and stammering Sookie disappeared round the corner leaving Eric alone with only the sound of his own deep rumbling laugh .


	27. Chapter 27

Sookie was literally rocking back and forth with nervous energy as she waited the arrival of her friend and the start of the nights activities ...Shopping .

On the way home from her second meeting with Eric Pam had dropped the bomb that they would need to purchase some suitable attire for her nights at Fangtasia , Sookie had at first fought the idea as she was not keen to have to venture into unknown territories so quickly after the vampire bar .

She had argued that she had plenty of dresses she had made and didn't really need anything else but Pam was steadfast in her persistence that the little human must have some variety in her wardrobe and skilfully as her dresses were made they would not always suffice in some situations she may now find herself in .

Sensing what was probably bothering her little angel , Pam had assured her that she had a way that would make the trip as painless as possible although Pam was aghast that any women in her right mind would not jump at the chance to Shop ! .

Money had also been quickly dismissed as an excuse as Eric had provided a sizable allowance for the purchase of '' Business cloths '' as Pam called them , Sookie had balked at the idea of Eric paying for new cloths for her but was mildly placated at Pam's assurance that this was more of a business expense in Eric's eyes and if Sookie so wished she could pay him back once she had earned some money .

Pam like Eric had not informed the young telepath about the fortune that was now her birth right , she fully intended to tell her in time but for the moment it was best left , she did not want to overload the girl during an already stressful time .

The crunch of gravel on her poor old drive informed Sookie her ride for the night was here , pulling her worn blue cardigan on over her usual white summer dress Sookie stepped out her house to face the music .

Sookie thought Pam looked immaculate as ever in a gray pants suit with a pink and lush looking silk blouse on underneath , she wondered if Pam just fell out of her bed...or coffin looking like this each evening , like maybe it was a vampire thing to just look like you have just stepped off the cover of a magazine , aside from the time Sookie had first encountered Pam she always looked neat as a pin .

'' Hello my friend '' Pam purred as soon as Sookie had opened the door , the human was getting better at reading Pam's facial expression and body langue and it all pointed to Pam being very excited ...well as excited as Pam seemed to get but the vampires eyes were nearly sparkling with glee.

Securing her seatbelt Sookie just made it before Pam gunned the car into reverse and took to the driveway with a jolt

Pulling herself back up straight and gripping with one hand onto the roof handheld she shot Pam a nervous look .

'' Are we in a hurry tonight Pam ? '' Sookie squeaked a little as she was bounced around in her seat

'' No no particular hurry it's just...you have no idea how long I've wanted to take you shopping , I think it's pretty much since I first met you , this is going to be fun '' Pam beamed at the girl and wiggled her eyebrows playfully .

Sookie was about to respond but they had hit the end of her old drive and Pam threw the car into the sharp turn that brought them out to the main road , Sookie hung on for dear life to the dash board

'' PAM , is this safe ? '' Sookie couldn't keep the panic from her voice

Pam pursed her lips and blew out to make a kind of ''piff '' sound '' Sookie vampires do not have accidents ''

The telepath opened her mouth to remind Pam just how it was that they had come to meet but Pam chimed in before she could

'' That was not an accident , the person who shot me meant to shoot me as did the person who stabbed me , the subsequent car mishap was a result ''

Sookie smiled at the vampires logic and let out a little laugh when Pam grinned at her as daring her to challenge her argument .

Half an hour later they entered what Sookie thought looked like a little suburban hamlet a few miles into Shreveport , as Pam slowed the car to park by the curb Sookie felt a little worried about what they were doing here .

Sensing her unrest Pam patted the girls knee as she slipped off her seat belt '' Just a quick stop , we won't be long '' Before anything else could be said Pam had vanished from the car and from sight .

Ten minutes later Pam returned at a slower speed and Sookie quickly noted she was not on her own , trailing after the Vampire was a middle aged women in thick looking burgundy pyjamas with matching dressing gown , the women was obviously dressed for bed complete with bunny ear slippers .

Pam opened the door and hopped back into her seat without a word and buckled back up , the random lady likewise but a lot slower entered and took a seat in the back of the car .

Sookie had swivelled round in her seat and was now knelling in her chair so she could peek over the head rest at there now fellow passenger '' mmmm...hello '' Sookie offered in a little voice .

The woman however didn't respond in any fashion and kept up her slightly glassy eyed look , head fixed straight and unmoving she looked like she was starring at something that wasn't there

'' She can't hear you Sookie '' Pam did not take her eyes off the road as she spoke '' You should belt back up ''

Doing as she was told and swallowing the urge to comment about a vampire who maintains they do not have accidents telling her to do her seat belt up .

'' Why can't she hear us Pam ? '' Sookie couldn't help back turn her head back a little to glance at the woman , it felt strange that she was just sitting there doing nothing , and her thoughts were weird as well , there were no clear words or anything it was just odd noises and maybe a little like music

'' I glamoured her , Madame De Lyon here owns a simply delightfully boutique in downtown Shreveport , it's a little jem I found a few years back and I can't think of any place better to pick you up some things ''

Sookie quirked her head to the side '' What's a glamour ? ''

Pam this time took her eyes off the road to look at the girl , she was curious to see her reaction about glamour .

'' I suppose you could call it a type of hypnotism but it's a little more complicated than that , vampires can impose their will on humans to manipulate there memory's and actions , it's a useful tool when dealing with them ''

Sookie frowned a little and glanced at the woman once again '' It's not hurting her is it ? ''

Pam smiled at Sookie's concern , a caring nature was still a bemusing thing for Pam to be around

'' No its not hurting her , she will not recall tonight's events or us but other than that there will be no ill effects , this way we shall have the shop to ourselves and you will not have to deal with the thoughts of strangers ''.

Sookie nodded but still looked a little unsure , it still felt a bit wrong to take away someone's free will like that

Sometime later the telepath found herself being dragged up and down the length of the boutique having article after article of clothing thrust at her by an ecstatic Pam , Sookie quickly found out that this seemed to be her friends natural element the Vampire was almost vibrating with enthusiasm .

There taste in clothes was needless to say a little different , Pam kept on selecting a slightly more risqué design of dress than Sookie was used to and wasn't sure she could pull off wearing such expensive looking cloths , although the different fabrics felt heavenly to her , Pam had quirked an eye brow at her more than once for burying her face in a dress or top that had been handed to her and purring at the feel of the material on her cheek

Once Pam had selected a number of outfits and Sookie had agreed or in some cases agreed in principal to try on , the vampire turned to her fellow shopper and fixed her with a calculating look

'' Now my friend it's time for something that is long overdue '' Pam took a small step as she spoke bringing her into Sookie's personnel space

Before Sookie could ask what was the matter Pam had reached out with both hands and cupped each of her breasts through her dress shifting the weight up and down of each in turn .

Sookie froze on the spot and sputtered a protest that never managed to reach her lips in any coherent form

Ignoring the small noises Sookie was making but enjoying the deep shade of red the girls face had turned Pam continued assessing Sookie's ample bosom with the wizened eye of an artisan .

'' 34DD I do believe , may be a smidge over but you'll fill out the cup nicely , we could get you a few push ups but then you'd probably be able to balance drinks on the these babies at cocktail parties ''

Dropping her hands away from Sookie chest with a slightly disappointed look in her eye she took the human by the arm and began guiding her to the back of the boutique that Sookie saw was festooned with silky looking lacy items of every description

'' What are you talking about Pam ? '' Sookie just about managed to squeak , she was still scarlet red and flustered from her friends impromptu examination of her mammary glands

Pam chuckled and used her free hand that was not guiding the girl to pat her fondly on the arm

'' A brassiere dear Sookie , I'm talking about a brassiere ''

**(Fangtasia )**

Eric sat in his office completing the last few tasks he had set aside for tonight , he had taken it apon himself get the ball rolling in relation to some repairs and basic improvements to his new telepaths aged home . Pam had of course pointed out the state of the humans drive way if it could be called as such , he had seen for himself the state of it on his second trip to the old home stead and agreed completely with her assessment ...there was no way in hell he was driving his Corvette down that thing .

Herveaux construction would be starting work on the new drive in the next few days with express instructions that they were not to go near the house for any reason , Eric was conflicted with having virtual strangers so near his new prize but had no intension of doing the work himself so a call to the owner to articulate just what the consequence of a poor job or disregard for his instructions per not bothering the occupant of the house .

A phone line was also now due to be installed at the earliest convenience , Eric had considered the broadband package but quickly scrubbed the idea , he was fairly certain Sookie owned no computer and while he would happily purchase one for her he thought perhaps it might be best to start with the basics .

Eric had no qualms about the cost of these improvements , after all money was not really much of an issue for him , lifetimes of fortunes made and lost had detached him from such concerns .

What did ire him a little was that the old house was still very much the girls home , he would much rather move her in to one of his and Pam's homes , it would be infinitely safer for her and there of course would be other boons , thoughts of waking from his day rest to find Sookie curled up invitingly at the foot of his bed were of course tantalising .

Consoling himself with thoughts of his eventual conquest the Sheriff cleared his desk for the evening and after locking his office door he started out into the night

Sniffing the air deeply he allowed a smile to spread , things were going to be interesting these next few weeks .

**(Pam's Car )**

Sookie hummed happily to herself as she sifted through some of the bags laid in her lap , she was delighting in picking the labels off each of the items of clothing in turn .

Pam eyed the girls slightly aberrant behaviour out the corner of her peripheral , they had been driving in a comfortable silence now for a while . The shopping trip had gone better than Pam thought it would , Sookie had seemed to get into it more towards the end so she was sure she wouldn't have to push so hard the next time .

The subject of the brassiere had been the biggest stumbling block , Sookie had resisted that change on all fronts , even now the girl shifted and wiggled a little bit in her seat before fiddling with the straps over her shoulders and pushing her boobs together ...Pam found it amusing cute and a little hot all at the same time .

Eventually Pam had of course won out and Sookie was now the proud owner of a few sets of lingerie , the telepath had refused to bend however when it came to the fire engine red French cut knickers Pam had dangled in front of her face , Sookie had no idea how any women could be comfortable wearing something that would be wedged half way up her...well she didn't understand .

Pam had allowed her to think she had won and consented to Sookie's choice of mostly boy shorts and plain panties ( white of course )

But when the human had not been watching Pam had stuffed the more raunchy selection in with the pile , she could always plead ignorance later .

Turning from her game of label pulling Sookie smiled brightly at her friend '' I had fun tonight , I'm glad I came ''

Pam returned the smile '' I did as well , I can't wait to see how some of your new outfits go down at Fangtasia , I think Eric will just looovvvee some of them '' She accentuated the '' love '' part with a huskier voice and wiggle of her eye brows .

Sookie blushed and looked out the window to escape Pam's cheeky grin

The pair had dropped off Madame De Lyon without event on the way back to Sookie's and she was several thousand dollars the richer for it , Sookie had watched as the women still in her trance had slowly made her way back up her drive to disappear into the dark , her thoughts were still so strange to Sookie . In a way it made her easier to be around as the woman wasn't really thinking anything in particular and just seemed to be stuck in some sort of internal opera sung in a language Sookie couldn't hope to comprehend ...but it bothered her .

Once back at Sookie's home Pam had helped to unload the spoils of the trip , inside Sookie retrieved one of the True bloods Pam had brought round for her convenience when visiting from the ice box and popped it into a pan of water before placing the pan on the Arga to heat up , she had no microwave but she figured this would yield the same result .

Pam had taken a seat on the large flower patterned sofa and was fingering the contents of the bags , selecting items to take out and hold up to the light like a jeweller confirming the carat of a stone

'' Pam...can I ask you a question ? '' Pam looked up from the baby blue blouse she was examining , Sookie's voice had that curious tone to it again , the one she used during question and answer time .

The Vampire nodded for her to continue

'' The Glamour thing...have you ever done that to me ? ''

Pam considered her answer for a second '' No...no I have not '' It wasn't a lie in the Vampires eyes as she had never successfully managed to glamour Sookie , she didn't think it was possible .

'' Would you like me to try '' Pam replaced the top back into the oversized glossy purple bag , she was much more interested with this conversation now .

''NO..I.. mean ...no...what's it feel like ? '' The telepath was intrigued and apprehensive at the same time .

Pam glided to her feet in the graceful Vampire movement Sookie now envied quite a lot

''You said you trust me before ...do you trust me now ? ''

''Yes '' Sookie's answer was immediate

Pam smiled at the show of faith , it pleased her to enjoy the telepaths trust ...even if she wasn't entirely sure why ? .

'' Then trust I would never hurt you '' Pam locked her eyes on Sookie's black round glasses and pushed hard with her will , emptying her mind and allowing it to become a void to draw in the girls , she gritted her teeth to push as much effort as she could into catching the humans control .

Pam had been wondering about bringing up glamour since she had discovered Eric's failed attempt and her own quick stab at it , Eric must have not put much power into it as he was trying to be subtle ...well as subtle as Eric got .

Pam on her first try to mentally subdue Sookie had only used a little influence just out of curiosity and not put near as much will behind it as she was doing now , at this level really no mortal should be able to resist , could she really be immune ? .

Pam got her answer about a second later as Sookie burst into a fit of giggles that had her massaging her temples in an odd fashion and opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water between laughs .

Pam was almost slacked jawed in her surprise

'' I'm sorry but that really tickles , it's like feathers behind my eyes ...it feels sort of familiar ''

'' You don't feel any sort of pull to do what I say ,none at all ? '' the vampire had never even heard of something like this .

Still rubbing her head to alleviate the tingly feeling Sookie simply shook her head a little '' Do think that means there's something wrong with me ? '' She looked a little worried at that thought .

'' No I'm quite sure its normal ...for whatever it is you seem to be ? '' Pam regretted the words almost as soon as they left her mouth , it sounded like she was calling Sookie a freak and she knew how sensitive Sookie could be about that.

Sookie didn't seem to notice Pam's perhaps poor choice words but instead looked a little whist full

'' I really wish I knew what that was sometimes...maybe there are more like me , it would be nice to know I'm not alone ''

'' You're not alone Sookie ...not anymore at any rate '' Pam didn't like the slight sag Sookie's shoulders had when speaking about being alone , the invisible weight of many years trapped in a solitary life obviously still played on the girls mind .

'' Besides being unique is nothing to be ashamed of , you are special ''

The little angle plopped herself down into the worn armchair and sighed '' Special is sometimes just another way of saying different or weird ''

Pam scowled at her choice of words , she disapproved of the way Sookie was talking about herself , it made her uneasy to think how her angel had come to form these views and it also made her angry at the fools who had no doubt planted it in her head .

'' Well I suppose its official then , you can't be glamoured , at least not by me at any rate ''

Squeezing in next to the telepath Pam wiggled her behind to make some room for herself in the single seater chair engendering more giggles from Sookie . Pressed up next to her friend Sookie allowed her head to loll against Pam's shoulder , she still relished the close contact she had been receiving as of late

Pam leaned her own head to the side a little to rest it against the top of her angles head , the clean sweet smell was as ever present .

'' I'm going to have to talk with Eric about the glamour thing you know ''

Sookie huffed and nodded slightly the action moving both their heads at the same time .

'' Do you think he will get mad ? ''

'' No , he will not be angry about something you have no control over , but it's something he should know anyway ''

Sookie's only answer was a long slow yawn , it was the early hours now and she was ready for her bed .

'' You should get some rest little one it's been a long day '' Sookie smiled at Pam's little saying , she had heard it often when she got tired during the vampires visits

Shimmying out of their shared chair Sookie stood and stretched her arms above her head with another yawn , she frowned a little when her newly acquired brasserie pinched her under the arm

Guessing the cause of the frown Pam patted her back gently '' Don't worry , you'll get used to it ''

Bidding her guest a sleepy good bye Sookie shuffled upstairs to bed .

**( Eric's Home )**

The shrill ring from his desk phone broke Eric's concentration on his book , glancing up from his copy of the Iliad he eyed the phone suspiciously , most knew not to call him this early he liked to have this time to himself unless it was an emergency .

Placing the book down he strolled over to the desk in no great hurry , even a little hopeful that perhaps the caller would simply go away .

Picking up the receiver Eric's whole posture changed once he heard the voice on the other end

'' Good Evening Sheriff , I hope this night finds you well '' The short clipped tone and aristocratic Spanish accent could be mistaken for no other ...it was the King .

Steeling his nerve Eric slipped into his deep leather chair , any conversation with a monarch no matter how seemingly inconsequential was reason to be on your guard .

'' I am very well indeed your majesty , I trust you are also '' Eric reserved this lighter tone for the king only .

'' Ahh well the troubles of running a kingdom are never ending but for the moment things are manageable . The point of my call and I apologise for it being so early was to check you have finalised your arrangements for the summit next month , all in your retinue have been briefed on their duties yes ? '' .

Eric grimaced at mention of the summit , it was nothing more than an excuse for De Castro to gather his sheriffs and a few select dignitaries to show off his new monstrosity of a Casino that had just been finished , the aptly and gaudily named '' Midnight desires '' was to be the new jewel in the kings crown . One hundred and twenty floors of gold leaf guilding and crushed burgundy velvet wrapped in a dizzying cocoon of neon and florescent light ...Eric had hated the pictures of the place on sight .

'' I can assure your majesty my staff is as always ready to be of service , I believe it shall be a grand event '' More like pure ego fellatio but Eric kept that thought to himself .

'' Excellent I would expect nothing less from my loyal sheriff , I shall leave you to your morning then. Please have all the final details forwarded to Sandy and she will make the necessary arrangements this side '' .

'' It shall be done your majesty '' With that the line clicked off

Eric didn't for one minute believe that the King of three states had called him to remind him of travel arrangements , De Castro have endless minions to deal with such matters . No the king liked to call every now and then to ensure he remained a very real presence in the minds of those below him , lest they forget who is in charge .

The Viking had absolutely no desire to attend this carnival of a Summit , any new or old business could just as well be discussed vie video conference or face to face in a small meeting of sheriffs and lieutenants , this whole debacle had zero to do with business it was just massaging the Kings image and Eric had no interest in that . But it was not as if he could just refuse , he did owe fealty to the Vampire and that was not going to change unless he fancied staging a coup d'état any time soon and usurping the Spaniard from the throne .

Tossing the receiver back into its cradle with a clatter Eric leaned back in his chair , arms raised behind his head he slipped into some downtime before the sound of his child entering the nest brought him back to reality .

Pam sauntered in hips swaying and a smile on her face , Eric took a second to appreciate how beautiful his progeny was , he sometimes forgot just how captivating she could be ...possibly due to her brat like behaviour , but still he was proud to claim her as his own .

'' Good Morning Master '' Eric nodded a response to her greeting

'' I trust your outing with sweet Sookie bore fruit '' The words sweet and Sookie rolled off Eric's tongue in a luxurious manner .

'' If you mean is she now the proud owner of some pretty killer outfits plus shoes of course then yes it was fruitful , she still fought me on the cost of a lot of things but I won more than I lost ''

Eric frowned '' Did you point out that I was more than happy to bear the expenses ? , I hope she did not deny herself something she wanted for fear of money '' The older Vampire was keen to demonstrate he would be an able provider for the telepath , he was aware things had moved on a little since the days of dowry and dutiful service but he still maintained most women had a basic desire to be cared for .

'' Sookie looks at things very much from her own point of view , she is not possessing of such a sense of entitlement that most humans seem to have these days , but she has all she needs for now . I think you will be impressed ''

Eric was thinking he would much rather the girl in nothing at all but trusted Pam's knack for dressing to impress

'' I find myself eager for our first trial run with my new telepath , we shall have to make sure that all is set up to make it as easy as possible for her transition , problems early on could complicate the whole arrangement ''

Eric had been about to go over said arrangements once more but Pam interrupted him by quickly blurting out something that grabbed his attention .

'' Sookie can't be glamoured ''

Freezing in place the elder Vampire fixed his child with a chilling stare '' What did you say ? ''

Pam looked to the floor for a second before responding '' The first time you attempted to glamour her it didn't work , she repeated your command back to me on the return drive to her home , I also tried to glamour her that night and it didn't work for me ether ...I confirmed it tonight by trying again...it can't be done ''

Eric squeezed his chairs arm support till it creaked and groaned in complaint , his arm muscles strained against the fabric of his shirt as they flexed and contracted .

'' You...kept ...this from me'' The low hiss was barely recognisable as a voice but the words mattered little to Pam , the rage in Eric's eyes was the only thing she cared about at the minute

Pam was not able to track her journey from the middle of the room to be pinned by her shoulders against the wall , but she knew it was fast

Eric loomed over her with fangs barred in a terrible display , his hands dug into the fabric of her jacket and made the flesh and bone underneath ache and throb savagely

Pam thought that perhaps this was going to be more painful than she had anticipated .


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi all**

**Thanks for sticking with the story during its break , going to try and get back to regular updates now . All reviews have been grateful received , it's always nice to have encouragement**

**Quick reminder that I don't own any of these fine characters there the property of Mrs Harris**

''Don't you think this is a bit much Pam ? ''

Sookie had been sat in front of her grandmothers old vanity desk for twenty minutes while Pam had weaved and crimped and combed her hair . At first Pam's nimble fingers had felt nice running through her long blond hair but now it was just getting a bit boring .

'' This is your debut Sookie , that's worth a little effort '' Pam continued to slip pins into Sookie's combed up hair pinning it back in strategic places to allow Sookie's natural blond ringlets to hang free on the sides and at the back , she was quite proud of the final result .

In an hour or two they were expected at Fangtasisa and Pam had been helping Sookie select a suitable out fit and applied some minimalist make up , Sookie herself had no actually cosmetics but Pam had come armed with her Baby pink chrome Estee Lauder fold out kit , Sookie thought it contained a staggering array of powders , gels , sprays and a dozen other items whose purpose she could only guess at .

Pam had told her she probably would not suit heavy make up so she had simply applied a few small touches .

The dress they had eventually gone with was not Sookie's first choice , she had wanted to go with a knee length light yellow sun dress she had picked out during her shopping trip , she thought it looked cute . However Pam had pointed out it was basically a different colour version of what she wore pretty much all the time , after much back and forth Sookie had accepted Pam choice of a little Emerald cocktail dress made by someone called Lanvin , it fell to just above her knee and was a sort of silky material that felt light and luxurious , the neck line plunged a little too much for Sookie to feel completely comfortable straight away but as she settled into it a bit more she thought it was actually quite nice .

'' Sookie a word to the wise , you better not be playing with those things all night or you're going to be drawing some serious attention to yourself ''

Sookie had been trying to adjust her boobs a little to nestle down better in the new bra she wore underneath the dress .

'' I can't help it Pam they seem to slip around with a mind of their own , could I not leave it off just for tonight ? '' The telepath tried to keep her voice from sounding whiney but didn't pull it off very well .

Pam pulled the girl off her chair and turned her round to rearrange some of the front bits of her new hair style '' No Sookie you have to get used to wearing it and going sans bra with a dress like this is just asking for trouble , if your girls were to pop out in the middle of the club by mistake Eric might have to kill someone to restore order ''

Sookie shrank back a little at that , the thought that she might be in danger tonight hadn't really occurred her . Sensing her friends fear Pam gently pulled the human back to her and resumed her final fussing .

'' That was a joke Sookie , no one will dare say Boo to you when you're sitting in Eric's booth with me next to you ''

Pam finished her last little tweaks and stood back a bit to appreciate the whole picture , to put it simply the girl was stunning , the dress complimented her generous natural curves and bosom to a criminal degree , Pam always thought Sookie's skin carried an alluring golden glow to it but off set by the deep emerald green it now seemed to shine happily away , the hair , the dress , the makeup , all perfect...but one thing did clash with the ensemble a little

Stepping back into Sookie's space Pam raised her hand to the side of the telepaths head and stroked her hair a little , Sookie smiled back until she felt Pam's hand slide down and her fingers grasp the left side of her glasses .

Both of the women froze where they were , Pam held Sookie's gaze as she shifted the black spectacles arm , raising it up agonisingly slowly until it popped free from behind Sookie's ear .

Pam had been studying Sookie's face since she had touched the glasses arm , it was caught in a kind of muted panic , Pam didn't move them any further and the pair continued to just stare silently at each other , it was as if they were both having a conversation all in their heads , Pam asking permission and Sookie contemplating the answer .

After what seemed like forever Pam broke the silence , her hand was still gently holding the side of Sookie's glasses but they were still completely covering her eyes .

''...Sookie..can I.. '' It was barley a whisper but the Telepath heard her loud and clear . Her mind was racing with the concept of allowing Pam to take them off , the girl saw her glasses as an extension of herself after all these years , even when her gran had been alive she had worn them without question it had always been easier that way ...her eyes marked her as different and she hated them .

'' ...I can't...please '' The pleading in Sookie's voice snapped Pam out of it , slowly she eased the arm back behind Sookie's ear and dropped her hand from her face , seeing Sookie was trembling a little she slipped her arms around the girls waist and hugged her , Pam had noticed that whenever Sookie was in distress physical contact seemed to always help calm her down , she gathered Sookie probably craved it .

Sookie quickly returned the embrace and hid her face in the crook of Pam's neck , she loved how the Vampire smelt , it was kind of dry but with a hint of something else that she couldn't place but it always made her feel safe .

'' I'm sorry Pam '' Her voice was muffled by the vampires neck but Pam understood and rubbed her hand up and down the girls back .

'' It's alright my little angel , when you're ready ok '' Sookie nodded a tiny bit so Pam released her and stepped back .

'' In that case I have a little present for you '' Pam announced with a smile , Sookie stuttered and looked down embarrassed

'' You didn't have to get me anything Pam , you've done loads for me '' Pam ignored her and walked over to the bed where her coat lay to retrieve a small black case from its pocket .

Turning back to Sookie she held it out with both hands for the telepath to take , Sookie did so but very slowly she felt a little bad that Pam had gone to the trouble , picking up on her hesitation Pam clucked her tongue and pushed it forward into sookie's grasp .

Holding the case like she didn't know what to do with it Sookie eyed the slender leather box in her hands , the animal hide felt soft and supple and probably cost a pretty penny she thought .

''Open it '' Pam laughed softly at her friends trepidation , little things seemed to effect her so sometimes .

Returning the laugh Sookie relaxed a little and gently opened the case , it split length ways down the sides and Sookie quickly recognised it as a glasses case , Gran had one but it was an old beat up velvet thing nothing like this , once it was open she could see it contained a pair of glasses but there was a grey silk cloth covering them .

Pulling it back Sookie revelled a pair of dainty looking silver sunglasses , the lenses were a little more square than the ones she wore now but they still had the rounded look , on each side of the arms there were what looked like tiny scrawl and swirls carvings she could just about make out cut into the silver metal .

'' Its white gold , I like silver as a colour but as a metal I'm not so fond of it , I don't want to burn myself every time I hug you ...are you going to try them on or just stare at them ''

Sookie beamed her light up the sky smile and tossed her arms around Pam's neck swinging back and forth a little taking Pam with her as she went

'' There so pretty Pam , thank you , thank you , thank you ''

Gently dislodging herself from Sookie Pam grinned at her antics '' Just one thank you is sufficient , now put them on and let's have a look ''

Sookie turned away to show her back to Pam and hung her head to slip her current pair of glasses off and replace them with her new pair , this operation done she turned to model them for her friend .

Pam felt almost like gloating to herself , when she had seen them online she had felt certain they would go with Sookie's face and just about anything else she wore , they looked more like they were being worn to complement that to hide something , she liked them much better than Sookie's current three blind mice pair that was in danger of ruining her outfit . Of course it would have been more ideal if Sookie had relented to leaving them at home tonight , it was going to be hard enough to keep things on the QT when she showed up with a gorgeous blond no one had seen before sitting in Eric's private booth she didn't need anything else to make her stick out , the humans would most likely not be a problem other than annoying curiosity but the other vampires present were no doubt going to give the little angel the once over .

Pam hadn't even brought up Eric's idea of how to make things a little clearer to any other Vampire foolish enough to step out of line , she wasn't sure how Sookie was going to take it but it might be poorly .

The younger vampire was of course in no position to argue at the minute with her master , Pam knew she was already on very thin ice with Eric after the whole glamour thing , her master has spelt out in no uncertain terms that if he did not require her presence for the next few weeks to settle Sookie in , she would have spent it chained to a wall in the basement living off true blood...if she was lucky .

'' You look amazing Sookie , they suit you ''

Checking herself out in the mirror Sookie had to agree they did suit her , they felt a little heavier than her old ones and also they had a slight cold feeling to them but she guessed this was because they were gold and not plastic , Sookie frowned a little as she recalled Pam saying they were made of white gold she didn't know that much about precious's metals but even she knew white gold was very very expensive , how much had these cost ? .

Pam walked behind her to look over her shoulder as Sookie stared at her reflection '' Except a gift in the spirit it was given little one ''

''Ok your right ...but you still didn't have to , but thanks again ''

'' Your welcome '' With that Pam walked out of the room .

Sookie continued to stare at herself in the mirror for a moment , she could hardly recognise the girl staring back at her , Pam's call from downstairs that it was time to go broke the telepath out of her musings and scuttling for her shawl that she had selected to go with outfit

Flicking off the light switch she turned in the door way and eyed her little hiding place in the dark between the wall and the dresser , her last thought before closing the door was that she hoped she wouldn't be needing that after tonight .

**(Fangtasia )**

Long shadow had been rubbing the same spot on the bar for nearly half an hour now , clenching and unclenching the rag in his hand . It had been a few days since he had met with Madden and he still had no useful information to give the unhinged vampire , his efforts to get close to the girl during the last meeting had been confounded by the bitch Pam .

Now something else was obviously going on tonight , the club should have been open hours ago but the line of fangbangers and pissed off vampires was stretching round the corner outside , any questions aimed at the sheriff were either ignored or given clipped answers along the vein of mind your own business , that had irked Longshadow somewhat as he was a partner in this bar be it a small share holder but still he had money invested in the operation .

Eric however it seemed was not in the humour to discuss such matter at the moment so that was why he was simply standing here waiting to see what happened next

He would need to get some sort of information soon ...very soon .

In His office Eric glanced at the clock once again to confirm the time for at least the sixth time tonight , he was eager to see his new prize .

The plan for tonight was for Pam and Sookie or Sookie and himself to sit in his private booth as they opened to let in the vermin and vampires waiting dutifully outside one by one , this way they could set the level for how much Sookie could take first off in terms of active minds in the bar at any one time . When and if it became to much to take anymore they would simply stem the flow of human customers and have them wait to gain entry . As far as Eric was concerned this was no great inconvenience for him he didn't care if they were no other humans present at all ...he only had one in mind tonight .

He had been given a bit to think about after Pam's revelations last night regarding Sookie and glamour , first off he was furious that Pam had wilfully deceived him , he had never before had any reason to doubt his child and she was not properly able to give him some sort of reason for her leaving him in the dark

At first he thought perhaps this was some sort of resistance to him fully obtaining the girl for himself body and blood but Pam had not really shown any inclination to get Sookie into bed beyond appreciating her natural beauty , if anything his child seemed to be forming some sort of maternal type sibling attachment to the girl , very strange for a vampire and doubly strange for a vampire as brutal as Pam was capable of being

So why the deception ? .

If Eric had not needed Pam to control the girl for the start of her training Pam would have been a guest in the basement for a few days at least being reminded who was master and who was child , he had not needed to use the lash on Pam since she was a fledgling but she was sorely mistaken if she thought she was beyond being bent over the steel horse downstairs with her rear in the air counting strokes of the lash out loud as he dealt them .

The thought engendered a slight response from his groin at the memory of disciplining Pam in the early days , she had fought and fought hard and Eric had enjoyed every minute of it . Pleasure and pain were very much part and parcel for any vampire , there was more twitching in is loins at contemplating what Sookie would look like bent over the horse with her plump little butt exposed to the open air and awaiting his ministrations and discipline.

As if on cue there was a single knock at the door before it was opened to reveal Pam and trailing behind her was sweet little Sookie .

Eric's lips parted slightly as he took in his telepath in all her glory , the job Pam had done dressing and preparing her was almost enough to get her off her Trueblood enforced diet for the next week...almost .

The slight stirring in Eric pants was now not so much a stirring , now everything was standing to attention , the smell plus the bust line of the girls dress was going to make this a hard night for him (no pun intended ) , enjoyable but hard .

The Viking wanted to stand to greet the girl properly but then it would be pretty much impossible to hide the fact that he was saluting her in no uncertain terms , his jeans were suddenly not that comfortable .

Sookie shuffled her feet a little under Eric's hungry stare , it might have been her imagination but she could have sworn he growled a little , hiding behind Pam was not an option as she had stood to the side obviously keen to show off her handy work

Eric had managed to still his unruly solider somewhat and now felt comfortable in standing to get a closer look , he was hoping Sookie would begin to be more calm around him , he couldn't ruin things now by being to forward , especially now it appeared that glamour was no longer an option , but first he would need to see this with his own eyes .

Leaning back against his desk Eric folded his arms across his broad chest and aimed a little smile at the girl , women seemed to always respond well to it

'' Sookie , I understand from talking with Pam that it seems you are not susceptible to what we Vampires called glamour , did Pam explain what glamour is to you ? '' .

Sookie rubbed her hands together a little at the waist before answering , she really wanted to rearrange her bust a little but kept Pam's warning in mind

'' She did ...I'm sorry it's not working on me , I'm not trying to be difficult '' Sookie tried her best to sound apologetic , she wasn't really that upset it didn't work on her , even if it did mark her down as being odd she didn't like the idea of not being in control over your own body and mind , although she was genuinely sorry that it seemed to perturb the two vampires in the room , after all who the hell wants to deal with a perturbed Vampire .

Eric softened his stance and voice a little on hearing the slight quiver in the girls voice , he did not want to instil anymore fear in the girl than she already had '' You have nothing to be sorry about Sookie , it's most likely a symptom of your telepathy , it would stand to reason you have a stronger mind than most humans , now although I have confidence in Pam's ability I'm going to ask your permission to try myself , I'm older than Pam and with age our kind become stronger , I want to see if you really are immune ...would this be alright ? '' .

Sookie thought about this for a moment , she had no real reason to say no and anyway it was most likely not going to work , plus she had Pam with her so what could go wrong

''mmmm..ok , will it feel the same as when Pam tries it ? ''

Eric raised an eyebrow at the mention of Sookie being able to literally feel the glamour , that was also not something he had heard of before '' You can feel it ? , feel it with you mind ? '' .

'' mmm..,yeah it kind of tickles ''

'' Tickles ? '' Eric asked incredulously , now he was definitely going to try , let's see if this tickles he thought to himself .

Pushing off from his perch on the desk he closed the distance between them , even with the heels she had wobbled in on obviously unused to such foot wear that Pam had fitted her up with she was still a tiny thing compared to him , Eric tried not to loom over the girl but it was difficult ...especially as he wanted to rub himself all over her and bend the telepath over his desk , Pam could watch for all he cared .

Sookie had kept eye contact so she her head was tiled back a little to accommodate the difference in size , it was getting easier to be around Eric she found . He was wearing a plain black t-shirt tonight with black jeans , the combo was simple but seemed to suit him well , not for the first time Sookie noticed that as it was a somewhat tight fitting t-shirt the muscles in his arms and chest seemed to pop out a little at you , she got lost for a minute trying to follow the course of one of his biceps under the cotton material ...why did that look so inviting ? .

'' Sookie ...can you feel me now ? '' Eric's voice brought her back to reality as did the buzz and tickle in her head , she fought the urge to giggle again as she did with Pam , she didn't want Eric thinking she wasn't taking this seriously .

The buzz did seem stronger than when Pam had attempted this and for a second she could feel something probing almost round the corners of her mind . Blinking sookie lost the feeling and only the buzz remained .

''mmmm..Nope sorry '' Sookie bobbed her head a little to signal nothing was really happening

Eric had been fixated on the girls face the whole time he had been pushing for all he was worth to get into her head , he could feel her there ...but it was like she was just out of reach , he probably continued for longer than was necessary but he was in a way a little desperate , without glamour he had much less cards to play , that would mean much more ground work than he was used to .

Eric relented his mental assault and took a step back with a thoughtful look on his face

'' So it would seem you really cannot be glamoured...Sookie no one besides myself and Pam knows why the reason you are here as are we the only ones who know about what you can do...this must also must not be shared outside this room , do you understand ? ''

Sookie wanted to ask why this was but thought better of it , if Eric said do not talk about than talk about it she wouldn't , Angry Eric was not something she liked to see .

'' I understand...so what are we doing now then ? '' She wasn't exactly eager but putting things off never solved anything as Gran used to say

'' I believe Pam has gone over how we will be progressing tonight yes ? '' Eric waited for Sookie to nod yes before continuing '' Then we shall proceed on those lines , but before we do did Pam also discuss the issue of your scent ? ''

'' My scent...you mean my smell ? '' Sookie flashed a panicked look across her face and stepped a few paces back to put distance between her and the vampires '' DO I SMELL BAD ! '' .

Grabbing a handful of her hair Sookie brought it to her nose and sniffed manically , not detecting anything unpleasant there she sniffed her way down her arm and looked about her inspecting herself to see what might be causing the offending odour , she had showered before getting ready tonight so was at a loss .

Eric couldn't suppress the laugh that rose up in his chest , it was deep and rumbling to Sookie's ears as always , she felt a small spike of anger and shame that he was mocking her about being unclean somehow

Detecting the hurt look on her face , Eric quickly stifled his mirth and took a step forward '' I meant no offense little one , and in answer to your query no you do not smell bad , not in the least I can assure you ''

Pam followed Eric in closing the gap between her and Sookie and placed a hand on her shoulder to try and placate her a little '' I'm sorry Sookie I was supposed to bring this up back at your house but we got distracted somewhat , allow me to explain ''

Taking the hand offered her Sookie allowed herself to be lead over to the leather couch and took a seat next to Pam who kept hold of her hand .

Eric remained standing to witness there little talk , he was somewhat annoyed that Pam had failed to bring up his plan for this evening regarding her Scent but was now a little glad he got to be in on a portion of her education , he wanted a more active role than he had thus far .

'' Sookie of all the senses we vampires posses the one we use the most is smell , it actually plays a larger part than vision in a lot of ways , from a scent we can determine a lot about a person or place . Now in your case and I second Eric in saying you do not smell bad in the slightest , you do however smell...different , but different in a very good and well...yummy kind of way ''

Sookie bliked a few times and Pam could see the gears turning in her pretty head '' I smell Yummy? ''

Pam nodded and coked her head to the side '' Well maybe Yummy might not be the best word , but I can't think of a better analogy you would understand at the moment ''

Eric however was silently running an already extensive list of words through his head , you smell .._fuckable_ , _mouth-watering_ , _sinfully_ _decadent_ , _Virginal _and so on and so on .

Sookie took all this in and pulled her dress down from riding up her thighs anymore than they were , she seemed to be thinking of what to say

'' So ...what should I do , I don't think I know how not to smell...yummy ''

Pam chuckled at Sookie's pensive stance '' Well yes that is something I'm sure you can't control , but it is somewhat of an issue , there will be other Vampires here tonight and while I assure you none shall touch you , it would make things easier if there were no doubt as to who you are here with ''

The Telepath was really confused now '' Am I not with you ? ''

This time Eric deemed to answer her question '' While you are indeed here with ME and Pam , at the moment you only really smell a little of Pam , now Pam has status here among other Vampires as she is my child and lieutenant but it would be advantageous if you bore the scent of someone in power and authority beyond question ...case in point me for example ''

'' Sooo...you want me to smell like you ? , ...how am I going to do that ''

Eric grinned from ear to ear '' My dear Sookie I thought you would never ask ''

Before the human could ask any further questions Eric leant down and retrieved Sookie's hand from Pam's in a smooth liquid motion , Sookie had no time to really react to it so decided to do nothing for the minute . Eric raised her gently out of her sitting position to stand before him

'' Pam please would you tell Longshadow to begin opening the doors and prepare to receive customers ''

Pam looked between Sookie and Eric before bowing her head a little and gliding out of the room , Sookie attempted to turn and had Pam's name on her lips but her friend was gone to quick and Eric still had a hold of her hand .

Looking down at that hand she took a moment to marvel how it just kind of disappeared into the older Vampires massive paw , without any further comment of explanation Eric surprised her by allowing his long arms to snake around her waist and draw her into an embrace ...so just like that she was hugging Eric Northman part time scourge of her nightmares .

Eric felt the girl stiffen like a board in his arms , her little hands were now crushed up between them as he lightly brushed his thumb over an exposed patch of skin just below the small of her back where her dress hung loose to show a glorious patch of her flesh .

Hoping to relax the telepath he lowered his head to rub against the side of hers and whisper in her ear like a conspirator '' This will allow a little of my scent to be on you , it will ensure no one bothers you...relax , I will not harm you ''

Whatever the actual scientific reason behind this Eric didn't care a hoot at this point , this was heaven to him , Sookie seemed to fit his large frame perfectly . He revelled in rubbing his face in her hair each movement seemed to stir up that scent that had him barley suppressing his baser urges ...fuck...feed...in that order , and then reverse .

Sookie wasn't sure what she was supposed to be doing here , Eric embracing her had not been on the itinerary tonight , well at least not that she had seen ...but it was not so bad

Eric hadn't hurt her recently , or even shouted at her , he had bought her cloths and talked to her nicely . Pam who she trusted above all others ...not that there were actually others besides Pam , had told her Eric would not harm her or be unkind to her again now they all knew where they stood . So with that in mind she shuffled a little to free her arms from the bear hug she was now in to reach around Eric's midsection ...she hugged him back .

Eric felt her little stirrings and took them for a bid for freedom and almost with a disappointed huff on its way was going to release her , but then he felt her little arms make their way round his sides he realised she was trying to get comfortable in his arms , she was excepting his embrace

He felt like roaring .

Her delicate small arms had no chance of getting all the way round his muscled body but the fact she was trying had Eric purring like the cat that got the cream , for whatever reason this just felt right to Eric , as if her little body had been made with him in mind , the feel of her skin , the scent of her hair , all for him .

Holding Eric close felt different to holding Pam sookie thought , Pam was soft and small like she herself must feel like she supposed , but Eric was a whole different kettle of fish , there was nothing soft about the torso her forehead was resting against , He felt firm and unmovable like hugging a giant cool pillow...a pillow that could kill you .

It felt ...nice

Eric had settled his face in the crook of Sookie's neck and was mentally torturing himself by allowing his nose to brush over the thumping artery of her neck , he could smell the '' Electric life '' as Pam had called it pumping away just beneath the golden skin of her elegant neck , he contemplated ordering Pam to always ensure Sookie wore her hair up from now on .

Perhaps unconsciously Eric had begun to sway a little with his prize nestled into his arms ,they were almost dancing , he could do this for hours

Raising his lips close to her ear again Eric broke their comfortable silence with another lovers whisper '' I haven't told you how much I like your new glasses , or how beautiful you look tonight , were the glasses a gift from Pam ? ''

Sookie had closed her eyes to enjoy the gentle swaying movement , she had leaned into Eric now and it felt sort of like taking a ride on a giant Vampire , not wishing to speak just yet she nodded against his chest .

'' She is very fond of you , they suit you well ...but I still would prefer to see what's underneath '' Much like your dress he added to himself

Sookie went rigid again for a second at mention of there earlier conversation but Eric would not let their embrace be spoilt , stroking a hand down her back once more he soothed a skittish Sookie back into her previous state '' None of that now , we are sticking to our deal , you will show when you are ready , I will not push you ''

'' I'm still a bit scared of you ... but this feels alright '' Her voice sounded even smaller when muffled against his chest , she rubbed her head back and forth a little

Eric was displeased at the fear part , but took solace in the '' feels alright '' , given time he would show her just how alright he was able to make her feel

'' I told you fear is not something you need to feel anymore , not where I'm concerned ...and for the record you feel alright to me as well ''

'' Will I smell less yummy now ? '' Sookie queried without looking up

Eric nuzzled into her hair again and spoke softly '' No you will still smell yummy as Pam calls it , but now you will smell yummy and of me , that will suffice for now ''

A knock on the door signalled an end to their little moment and Eric extremely begrudged releasing Sookie from his arms , she had left a little warm patch on the front of his t-shirt that had him wanting to snatch her up again , but it would have to wait for another time , the deed was done and she now carried a healthy dose of his scent , any vampire stupid enough to look twice at her now deserved to meet the business end of a sharpened stake .

'' Master we are ready when you and Sookie are '' Pam had found the time to change since leaving the office and was now clad in a leather and PVC style bodice with frilly black lace type skirt

Sookie had never seen Pam in her Fangtasia cloths and gave her friend a confused stare once she had turned around from facing Eric .

'' There my work cloths Sookie , the ver..I mean the customers expect Vampires to look and dress a certain way , this is it '' Pam turned slowly to reveal the whole outfit , Sookie was a little shocked as you could clearly see Pam's knickers and bum peeking out the bottom of the skirt if you could call it that .

'' It's very...very...'' Sookie could not think of an operate word to use , she didn't want to sound rude to her only friend

Pam waved her hand a little '' I know , I know , but needs must , just be thankful your not wearing a matching one...but if you ask me you've got the ass to pull it off ''

''PAM '' Sookie shrieked , it was bad enough when she came out with stuff like that when it was just the two of them but with Eric in the room she felt her face turn bright red

'' Now ladies , shall we '' Eric cocked his arm a little to encourage Sookie to take it , she stared at it for a minute then gingerly took it , she had just been hugging Eric a moment ago and nothing horrible had happened so in for a penny in for a pound .

As Eric walked her out of his office and into the hall Sookie extended her arm out to grab Pam as they passed , Pam slipped her own arm around Sookie's and walked in step with them

So with that Sookie was escorted out into the club sandwiched between more than a millennia worth of Vampire ...these were strange days indeed .


	29. Chapter 29

'' _Been waiting god damn two hours and I can't get a vamper to look at me twice ..''_

'' _Whose the little blond piece with Pam wish I could..''_

'' _...and then id suck it and he would grab my..''_

Aside from the time Sookie had been at Fangtasia during the werewolf attempted bombing incident , she hadn't had to deal with a lot of other readable minds in a long while , and she definitely hadn't had to deal with some of the bizarre and equally disturbing images she was picking up from some of Fangtasia's ...clientele .

In her school days she had done the best she could but was sometime barely able to make it through the day , it helped a little that most of her tutors believed she was mentally deficient so had a tendency to leave her to her own devices thus alleviating some of the pressure somewhat of having to listen to the thoughts of every other student in the class .

Fangtasia she thought felt a little like school in those days , the clamour of thoughts washed over her in waves forcing her own mind to the back of the pile , the telepath couldn't count how many minds there were in the bar at the minute but she could count the physical bodies .

Thirty two humans was as it turns out her current limit , the customers and vampires had been let in one at a time just as Eric had promised and slowly Sookie could feel the pressure building brain by brain as they filed in .

Eric and Pam had both been watching Sookie intensely as the number of patrons had gradually increased they had both taken up positions on either side of the little human effectively boxing her into Eric's private booth at the back of the club . Eric had noted the frown and purse of the girls lips as presumably she was exposed to the ever increasing din , the ''roar '' as she had once called it . By the time there were roughly thirty or so humans in attendance he could hear the grinding of the telepaths teeth and barley concealed discomfort . Turning his attention to the front door he caught the eye of Helvetica who was manning that position and with a flick of his hand signalled no more were to enter .

Carrying out her sheriffs command Helvetica slammed the rope strung across the door back into its cradle and fixed a human stupid enough to grumble a complaint with an icy stare , when a vampire bouncer says not tonight ...they mean not tonight .

Sookie shifted and fidgeted in her seat as she attempted to build her mental walls just as her gran had shown her . Each brick was slid into place , each part protected her just a little bit more...but it still wasn't enough.

Pam scooted closer in the booth to rest a hand on Sookie's arm '' Are you alright Sookie ? ''

Sookie slid her own hand over Pam's and nodded meekly , she tried to smile but it didn't quite look right on her face .

Eric noticed and not for the first time that Pam and Sookie seemed to touch each other far more than was normal for a vampire and human ...well apparently human . He was curious about this as he was curious about most things concerning the girl . Catching his progenies eye he spoke softly in his native tongue , he had purposely avoided doing this around Sookie as not being able to understand what was being said , he knew had an unnerving effect on humans and vampire alike , this was exactly why he tended to use his mother tongue to discuss matters with Pam when in meetings , unnerving others was mostly to his advantage but it was not what he wanted in this case.

''_**Why is it she seeks your touch so much ?'' **_Pam looked back to Sookie for a moment to give her another small smile.

'' _**She once told me touching others increases the power of her gift , I think it calms her that she cannot hear us ...and she was alone for a long time , I believe she desires to be touched , she finds comfort in it ''**_

Eric regarded Sookie for another minute before standing and extending his long arm down for the girl to take .

'' It has been thirty minutes , it's time for you to take a break . You may rest a while in my office ''

Sookie looked from Eric's hand to his face before nodding again and this time managing a genuine smile , a little rest did sound nice , she was starting to develop a nasty headache .

Pam slide out of the booth to allow the Pair to exit and smoothed down her little black lace skirt

'' Sookie if it's alright I'm just going to relieve Helvetica from her duties for a bit , she has a tendency to get irate if she has to deal with humans for too long in any sort of capacity ''

Sookie tried not to look downcast at being left on her own but it showed anyway , Eric stepped a little closer to look down at the girl .

'' If you want company little one I would be happy to sit with you for a time ''

Considering it for a moment Sookie nodded her acceptance of Eric's offer , Pam would still be her first choice but Eric so far tonight had been nice to her ...so far .

Pam smiled at her friend and gave her a arm a quick rub before turning and making her way to the front entrance

Any customer not wary enough to get out of the way before the Vampire sheriff and incognito telepath were upon them quickly weaved and dove to get out of the way as the pair made their way to the back of the club . Sookie had noted the reaction most people here had to Eric despite the mental fatigue from the thoughts flying round the room , fear was prominent on their faces when they got close to Eric , it was mixed with other emotions , especially from women but fear was definitely there , in a way it made her feel a little better she wasn't the only one who felt that way .

Eric watched his new little human out the corner of his eye as his he shepherded her to his office , in fact he had scarcely taken his eyes of her since they had settled themselves out in the club as the first of the vermin and vampires had been admitted . He found her every nuance fascinating to observe., the way her brow had crinkled with concentration and then with pain , the way her small hand had sought out Pam's under the table , he found himself wishing she would seek his hand for comfort . Eric mused how strange that fact was , he who had witnessed temple maids and royalty spread themselves wide for him , begging for his touch , and now he would find satisfaction in holding the hand of a young girl he hardly knew .

Distracted as Eric was by his contemplation he failed to notice a lone vampire stray to close for Sookie's comfort , the brave undead attempted to nonchalantly sniff in her personal space tasting the girls unique sent , in reflex to the appealing aroma his fangs descended with a click and stared intently with glazed eyes as the young Telepath passed .

Sookie wanting to put a little distance between her and this strange vampire stepped to her left and bumped into Eric , the contact brought the sheriff back to the present with a thud . It took him less than a split second to figure out what had caused the girl to alter her course and even less time than that to act , faster than any human eye could ever hope to trace he snaked a long arm around Sookie's waist pulling her snug to his body causing the girl to make a small '' yip'' noise.

Eric's own fangs popped free as he levelled a wild stare at this transgressor , hissing his displeasure the elder vampire puffed up like an animal standing over its dinner bowl , daring anyone to take what was his .

The display had the desired effect on the younger vampire and he quickly scurried away in a most undignified way , no meal no matter how appealing was worth risking the wrath of one such as that now promised murder with his cold stare .

Eric watched as the interloper made his retreat not taking his eyes off him until Sookie shifted a little in his grasp and wheezed from the strength he was applying to hold her to him .

Loosening his grasp he stepped back a fraction but still remaining in her personnel space , he was trying to remain calm but the altercation had put him on edge .

Once in Eric's office Sookie plopped down on the red leather couch and groaned slightly , she was so unused to so many thoughts , the pain in her head was still present although a little less pronounced than when she was sitting in the club . The actual distance meant little in terms of her disability , but now the thoughts were not so directed at her and this made all the difference sometimes in terms of having to deal with them .

Eric stood leaning with his back to the door regarding the girl now kicking off her little strappy silver shoes so she could tuck her feet underneath her as she sat , he was a little disappointed she had remembered to keep one hand tugging at the hem of her dress to stop it riding up as she performed this operation .

He quickly forgot about this when Sookie wrapped her arms around herself and shivered a little , without asking her swept over to the coat stand in the corner and retrieved his heavy leather jacket from its peg , slowing his pace he turned back to his telepath and gently laid it out like a blanket over her lap , Sookie ran her hand over the supple leather before looking up and giving Eric a tired little smile that did things to his groin '' Thank you ...I guess Vampires don't feel the cold much''

Eric wanted to kick himself for forgetting something so basic as heat , there had never been any need to heat his office in the past , the humans who had been in here had ether had no mind to complain about the cold or had not dared , or been there to fulfil a purpose so he paid no mind to the individuals comfort . He wanted Sookie to feel as comfortable as possible so made a mental note to have Bobby pick up a quality portable heater he could keep in the corner , after all he was hoping to get sookie to shed some cloths not be looking around for a blanket .

''I am sorry , I must admit sometimes little things that humans require sometimes slip my mind , it's been a long time since I had any reason to recall them '' Eric had slowly sat his large frame down next to Sookie but had kept something of a distance from her , he didn't want to make her feel backed into a corner .

'' Are you really a thousand years old ? . Pam said you were but I wasn't sure if she was pulling my leg ''

'' More than a thousand now I should think , there was less need to mark dates as there is now when I was human and then a young vampire , but rather than split hairs I just say a thousand when anyone cares to ask ''

Sookie leaned back into the comfy couch and peeked out at Eric over his coat that she had now tucked right up to keep away the chill '' I can't even imagine being a thousand years old ...it must be terrible sometimes ''

This answer surprised Eric , normally humans were in awe of his age and obviously looked with envy on the gift of immortality , he couldn't remember the last time someone had said anything negative about it.

''Why do you say that little one ? '' Eric mirrored her laid back posture and turned slightly at the waist to casually lounge back

''Because you have to watch everything change and wither around you as you stay the same , don't you feel out of place all the time ? ''

The vampire looked thoughtful for a moment considering his answer '' Change Sookie is a constant of the universe , nothing ever stays how it is for very long , it's just as an immortal you get to see the many stages of this , let me ask you something , what is your favourite season ? ''

''Oohh summer ! '' Eric grinned at her quick and enthusiastic reply , if he had been a betting man , and he was sometime s , then he would have bet on summer being her choice.

'' And when summer turns to autumn , do you truly regret the change ? . Or do you appreciate it and maybe embrace it a little for what it is , there is beauty in summer but also in the seasons that follow , and while I know they are on a never ending cycle , this in essence is what it feels like to live as long as I , one must except the inevitable but never be ground down by it ...do you understand ''

'' Not really '' Sookie answered honestly '' But it sounds pretty when you describe it ''

Eric chuckled and smiled back at the girl '' Many would argue I am incapable of a pretty word ''

'' Maybe that's because you scare them '' The smile dropped from Eric's face as the subject of fear reared its ugly head again.

Sookie quickly started talking as she saw Eric's jovial mood disappear '' I'm sorry , I didn't mean for that to come out sounding horrible , what I meant was that ...if you...I'm sorry I don't know what I'm saying ...but right now , in this moment ...your not scary .

Eric gave her a thin smile '' It is alright , we are by our nature frightening , I have given you cause , so I can not hold it against you , only try and prove it no longer applies to me and you ''

Sookie allowed her head to loll back and shut her eyes behind her glasses '' Maybe vampire nature is scary , but you..and Pam feel so nice in some ways it's easy to forget ''

'' Feel nice ? '' The vampire was unsure of her meaning .

Sookie contemplated what she was about to do for a moment , Eric had been so ...different tonight , he almost felt gentle to her , no shouting or grabbing , no blurry movement thingy that made her jump when the vampires did it . So maybe it would be alright

Wiggling a bit to free her arm from under her snug coat blanket she extended it across the distance and slowly retrieved Eric's hand from his lap .

Eric watched with a curious and hopefully expression as Sookie slipped her tiny digits to interlace with his , resting their joined hands in the middle on the couch Sookie gave a happy sigh as she let her shields fall and bathe in the tiny low hum of Eric's mind , it was like slipping into a cool bath on a hot day , it felt so good .

'' You have no idea how peaceful this feels ...to be able to touch someone and not have their every thought crammed down my throat , when I was little I even used to avoid touching my own family , to be able to just ...relax , it feels so nice . So vampire nature or not , scared or not ...you feel peaceful to me ''

No more words were spoken after that , Eric had begun slowly stroking his fingers up and down hers , he watched as a completely contented look washed over her face and listened as her heart slowed and breathing grew more and more shallow . The pragmatist and vampire businessman in him told him that letting her fall asleep so soon after her first try in the club was not a good idea , but every time he even thought about opening his mouth , he just couldn't bring himself to shatter this quite little time they were sharing . Even though Sookie was now clearly slumbering he was still enjoying just sitting here with her , he himself didn't often get the opportunity to just ...relax

Pam entered the office a short time later to find her friend and her maker still sitting in silence , their hands still coupled together between them , closing the door quietly behind her she stood before them arms crossed and eyebrow quirked '' Well isn't this cosy ''

Glancing at their joined hands she smiled ''Told you so '' referring to their earlier conversation

Eric finally tore his gaze away from Sookie to look up at his child '' Yes you are perceptive as ever Pam ''

Looking back to Sookie Pam frowned '' Is she ok ? ''

Eric also looked back and used his free hand to bring his jacket back up to cover Sookie chest '' Yes I believe she is just tired , I may have underestimated just how draining the use of her ability is , we may have to reassess the pace and timeframe at which we proceed , we do not want to burn her out''.

Sookie shifted and snuggled deeper into her coat cocoon , mumbling little sleepy utterances in her dream state , Pam who had often watched Sookie sleep when she sometimes nodded off during her visits always thought the girl looked cute when she slept .

'' Should we wake her ? '' Pam didn't really want to but she knew Eric may wish too

'' No...no we shall let her sleep for now , I have a few matters to attended to yet tonight , you will oversee the club until closing ''

Pam rocked back on her heels which was an impressive feet in stilettos '' Well gee whiz master aren't I the luck one '' her sarcastic tone was cutting but Eric simply ignored it .

'' Off you go '' he shooed her away with a condescending wave of his hand and a crooked grin

Pam wanted to slam the door on her way out but had no wish to startle Sookie so as she exited the office she was already thinking up some petty minor inconvenience she could foste on her maker at a later date to pay him back for having to deal with the vermin on her own tonight .

Eric turned back to the sleeping Sookie and finally with some regret worked his hand free from hers , lifting her limp wrist to his lips he placed a feather light kiss upon it before gently tucking it under his coat to join the rest of her in its snug confines .

Sookie slowly climbed up out of her slumbering and squinted at the overhead light that hummed down on her , she had a momentary surge of panic as she registered that she wasn't in her bedroom or even her house . Rising slightly she pulled back the heavy leather blanket and looked down at it confused before the memories of tonight's events were hers to access again . She was still asleep in Eric's office under his coat . The silky inner lining of the jacket tickled her bare legs as she moved and caused her to giggle , this really was a nice coat , it obviously cost a pretty penny and she felt a little bad she was using it for bedding , bringing the collar to her hose she sniffed and was rewarded with the dry smell of vampire , it was a little like Pam but not as perfumed , there was a slight cologne smell to it , it smelt musky and heady ...she liked it .

Eric had known the minute Sookie had started to wake , he sat behind his desk thumbing through outstanding paperwork and occasionally glanced at the computer screen to conform some detail or other , but once the angel in his office started to shift and moan she had his complete attention . He watched as she seemed startled from her unfamiliar surroundings but failed to notice he was silently inspecting her from the shadows , the small lamp he kept on his desk was off as he did not want an uncomfortable amount of light to disturb her ( even with her sunglasses ), the over head halogen only gave off a muted amount of illumination as he had never liked bright lighting , he was after all a creature of the night .

So silently from the dark he observed Sookie inspecting his jacket with interest , Eric was particularly interested when she began to smell said jacket and give a small smile as she obviously approved of his scent...there go's that groin thing again .

Eric unnecessarily cleared his throat to make himself known , Sookie jumped as she became aware she wasn't alone and dropped the coat from her face like it was hot .

Cheeks tinged red Sookie stammered apologies '' I'm sorry I fell asleep ...I guess I was more tired than I thought ''

Flicking the desk lamps switch its soft glow lit his end of the room '' You were fatigued , so your body sought rest , this is normal , you have nothing to be sorry for '' .

'' Yes but I was supposed to be here to work , I shouldn't have nodded off like that '' Sookie pulled Eric's coat from lap and stood up slowly , stretching her arms out she attempted to work out the kinks in her muscles , her neck felt a little stiff as she rubbed it and a small click was audible as her head moved left to right .

Eric frowned recalling Pam's comment regarding the damage he may have done in their first encounter , the thought was strangely unsettling to him , he didn't like the idea of her being in pain due to his actions.

Standing he pushed his chair back and made his way round to join Sookie in the middle of the room , Sookie stopped her stretching and looked up questioningly at the vampire

'' Is that...is your discomfort because of me ? , because of what I did ? '' Sookie wasn't sure what he meant till he raised his hand and lightly stroked the side of her throat , his meaning clicked into place and she dropped her gaze from his '' It's ok...it's not so bad, just a little stiff ''

The offer of his blood and its healing balm was on the tip of Eric's tongue but he had no idea how Sookie would react to even just the mention of that, it would be of a great boon to him in many ways but it may be too soon to have that talk just yet .

Eric's hand glided from Sookie's neck to grip her chin and raise head gently back up to meet his once more '' I am ...it was not what I intended , I regret the consequences ''

And he did , Eric did not have regrets very often but he truly did regret this , Sookie seemed to sense this and some part of her wanted to reassure him , that in itself was a strange thing she pondered ...wanting to make a thousand year old vampire feel better about ...well about anything

Conjuring the sweetest smile she could manage in the circumstance she raised her own hand to rub his lightly '' It's ok , really , I always heal quick , it might take a bit of time to shake it off , but it will be alright in the end ''

Eric stood back a bit to give her space '' You forgive easily...it's a rare quality in my world ''

The atmosphere was broken as Pam swept into the room , hearing Sookie was awake from the club she didn't bother with the quite entrance this time '' Well hello sleeping beauty , all rested I hope , or did you get a kiss from a prince ? ''

Spinning round to greet her friend Sookie blushed from head to toe at her suggestion '' PAM '' she almost hissed .

Chuckling at her own joke she slipped an elegant arm around Sookie shoulder '' It was just a joke little one '' Pam sniffed around Sookie's hair '' That scent trick certainly worked , you still smell like Eric '' a second wave of red made its way down the little angel , Sookie wanted to crawl into a hole .

Eric growled at his child's teasing '' If you are through amusing yourself Pam , you may lock up for the night , I shall see Sookie home ''

Bothe women turned to give equally confused looks , Pam was meant to drive Sookie home tonight , at least that was the arrangement .

'' Is that ok Sookie ? '' Pam watched for any signs of distress on her friends part

Eric was beyond annoyed that Pam had second guessed him by even asking but he was also curious to see if Sookie would agree , they seemed to have made leaps and bounds tonight so he would be a little ...perturbed if she did not take him up on his offer ...even if it actually hadn't been an offer .

''mmmm...alright , that sounds ok ...I mean if it's not any trouble '' Sookie looked to Eric for any sign he was only offering to be polite , she didn't want to put him out after he had been so nice tonight , but if anything he looked...happy? .

'' It will be no trouble at all my dear Sookie , I just need to quickly have a word with Longshadow and we shall hit the road as you humans say '' Picking his jacket up off the couch he fluidly slid it on over his broad shoulders and blurred out of the room .

Pam immediately looked to Sookie , she knew she hated quick movements ...especially from Eric , but to her slight surprise Sookie merely yawned and poked behind her glasses to rub her eyes , that was an interesting development she had expected it would take much more time to get the angel to become more comfortable with her master .

Stepping closer to Sookie Pam slipped the shawl she had forgotten in the club around her and rubbed her arms before pulling her in for a hug . Pam hadn't just been teasing before Sookie really did reek like Eric , she imagined it was due to Sookie using Eric's jacket as a blanket as she couldn't begin to think that it would be for any other reason...could it .

Sookie eagerly returned her friends embrace and stifled another yawn '' Are you sure it is ok Sookie...you know..Eric ? ''

'' Yeah , I think so , everything's gone ok this far so I can't imagine anything going wrong now...at least I hope not ''

Eric had entered the room , his business with Longshadow presumably completed and held out a long arm to guide Sookie out . Leaning into her Sookie gave Pam a peck on the cheek and a final goodbye before walking out .

'' I shall see you tomorrow night Pam I may not make it back to the nest before then '' Pam opened her mouth to say something but Eric beat her to it '' NOT what you are thinking , only that I may have to go to ground nearer Bon Tomps if I am unable to beat the Sun ''

'' Very well , good night Master ''

As tired as Sookie was she still had the energy to feel excited about a lift in Eric's car , until now she had only been in Pam's , she wondered if it would be similar to her's ? .

In a word , it wasn't , Eric escorted her to a reserved space close to the back door and raised his hand slightly to tap some device he seemed to have , there was a strange little ''BLIP'' noise and the headlights of the vehicle snapped into life letting her get a better look at what she would be riding in tonight .

Sookie did not know anything about car's but this thing just looked like it was made for Eric , it was red , long and was obviously very expensive , the moonlight seemed to twinkle off its low slung curves in an enchanting dance .

'' Wow...this isn't the same as Pam's '' Eric chuckled as he opened the door for her .

Sookie ducked down a little to look inside and was faced with the problem of attempting to clamber in , it was much lower than Pam's car which in a way was more like an little luxurious looking truck

Eric quickly solved the problem by sweeping Sookie up and depositing her gently down into her seat , the motion was like a blur to her and by the time she had registered what had happened Eric was round his side of the car and slinking in with a grace Sookie could only gawp at .

Pressing a single button on the dashboard the car was filled with a deep low rumble that shook Sookie's chair in a strange kind of vibration that made her jump a little , it was an odd feeling ...not bad ...just odd .

Flicking another switch a jet of warm air gingerly blew up from the floor and slowly filled the space

'' Just in case you get cold on the way '' Eric commented

The journey started out in comfortable silence , Sookie was starting to enjoy the strange vibrations in her chair more and more , the heat from the floor seemed to have seeped up into her seat and gave a pleasant warmth in her bum and legs , the combination was producing...an interesting effect.

Leaning her head to the side Sookie allowed her eyes to rest and thoughts to wander , tonight had been a mixed bag . She had only spent a very short amount of time in the club , in fact a much shorter time than was probably expected and she did feel a little bad about that .

But in general , it was not nearly as bad as she had worried , the thoughts had been hard to block yes and the people had been a little...different, but it had got a small bit easier after a while She did get a headache out of the deal but she had enjoyed the music somewhat , she hadn't got to listen to much over the years since gran's tiny garden radio had been left out in the rain one day and never worked again . And then there was Eric

He had been so nice tonight almost sweet at times , it had taken her by surprise , should she be worried about letting her guard down ? . Was it a mistake to except his offer of a lift home so easily , he could be trying to trick her , but to what end , if he wanted to hurt her he could just simply do it , there was no way she could stop him . Her POP could not be relied upon to get her out of danger , she hadn't been lying when she swore she couldn't just do it at will ...so where did that leave her ? .

Eric's voice broke her train of thought '' Sookie I can hear the gears grinding in your head as Pam would say ''

Sookie gave a laugh before turning to look at Eric in profile , his face seemed to be getting more pleasing to her eye '' Pam has said that to me before ''

'' Is there something bothering you ? '' Eric turned to give her a quick glance

'' No...no I was just thinking about tonight and about how it went , I'm sorry again for sleeping most of it , i will try harder next time ''

'' I told you , there is nothing to be sorry for , I wish for you to be comfortable , do not worry about performance at the minute , you shall get better at it in time..you are strong ''.

Sookie gave a short derisive laugh , there was no humour behind it this time

Frowning Eric turned to her again but kept the car in a perfect straight line '' You do not take a compliment well , has anyone ever told you this ? ''

Looking down at her hands Sookie fidgeted in her seat '' There hasn't been anyone in a long time to tell , so I guess not ''

Eric regretted his turn of phrase , of course there hadn't been anyone , he needed to remember who he was talking to .

'' Excuse my poor choice of words , I simply meant you seem to brush off your qualities with little regard , I call you brave and you disagree , I call you strong and you laugh , I have said both these things because I believe them to be true and for no other reason ''

'' I guess...I guess I don't see what you do '' Sookie's voice had dropped a few octaves , Sensing he had prickled a nerve Eric changed subjects .

''Tomorrow there will be workman visiting your property , they are to repave your drive so as to save Pam's and my cars , they are under strict instructions to leave the house alone and they should not approach , if they do for any reason do not answer the door and call Bobby Burman my day man straight away ,did Pam leave you the phone I gave her ? ''

Recalling the box Pam had left on her bed she felt instantly terrible for failing to thank Eric for the gift , even if she wasn't sure if she could learn to use the damn thing , her gran would have been ashamed of her .

'' I'm so so sorry Eric , I forgot to say thank you , that was really rude , I'm sorry '' Eric noted the troubled look on the telepaths face .

'' Do not trouble yourself Sookie , you have had a lot to take in these last few days , but you are welcome ''

'' You know you don't have to spend so much money on work for my house , it's not your responsibility , I was thinking maybe when I earn some of my own money I could ask Pam how I go about getting things like that done , I feel bad that you have to do it for me ''

'' It is no trouble and I want to do this for you , if you wish to undertake your own work when you are able then I respect that but for now , allow me to do this '' Sookie nodded shyly and played with her hands , she couldn't really argue with that .

'' I'm still not sure if I'm going to be able to use the phone , I'm not really good with machines , I've only really ever had ...the fridge ...oh and grans hair dryer , but that broke a few years ago ''

Laughing Eric reached over and patted Sookie's knee like he had seen Pam do sometimes , it seemed to be a sign of affection Sookie enjoyed and was maybe a way of making sure she knew the laughter was with her and not at her .

'' There is much this century has to offer I think you will enjoy Sookie , I intend to introduce them all to you but it's actually rather refreshing to talk to someone not so dependent on the trappings of modern technology ''

Sookie laughed back and this time there was genuine mirth in it , it pleased Eric every time he heard it '' Well that's me...trappings free '' .

Soon the journey was over and after Eric had manoeuvred his car with some trepidation down sookie's '' drive way '' he pulled up outside her humble old farm house , Sookie had just unbuckled her seatbelt by the time Eric had made his way round to open the door for her . Again Sookie was faced with trying to negotiate the exit , but this time she also had the added issue of not flashing her knickers as she did so , swinging her legs out first and using Eric's offered hand as support she managed to hoist herself out with minimal indecent exposure , although she was still fairly sure she had shown more than was probably what gran would have called decent .

Eric had to chew the inside of his mouth to keep his treacherous fangs in place at the tantalising look he got , they would of course be white ...how could Sookie's be any other colour .

Walking her to the front door Eric stepped back to show he expected nothing as she opened it , he had recalled her goodbye to Pam but he didn't expect the same treatment just yet...mores the pity .

He was proven right as Sookie entered her house and turned to give a small wave and a polite goodbye , but her smile was heartfelt and he took solace in that , tonight had all in all gone well , there would be other more pleasurable nights in store soon , he knew this as sure as his name was Eric the Northman .

Returning the goodbye ( but not the wave ) Eric waited until he heard her close her bedroom door before climbing back into his poor car to make the hazardous trip back up sookie's off road dirt track of a drive .

The journey back to Shreveport was made much more enjoyable by the fact Sookie scent was still heavy on his coat , it offered fertile ground for a night time fantasy .

**( The Next Morning ) **

Atticus Herveaux gripped the pick axe in his hand with grim determination , his head pounded almost in resonance with the jack hammer his co worker Tray was busy operating . Today had meant to be his day office but after an early morning call from his uncle Alcide , all plans to sleep of the previous nights over indulgence had evaporated . It had been a good twenty first birthday bash but he was definitely paying the price now .

He was offered a temporary respite as Tray ceased work for a minute and removed his ear protectors , there was only one pair and Atticus lamented that .

'' You still got your tail up your arse then Atticus , or has the ale fairy stopped fucking your ear hole yet ? '' Tray's burly physique coupled with his gruff voice and rustic features , would give the impression of a surly man , more so when you added his sometimes colourful repartee , but Atticus had known the man since he was a kid and although a tough son of a bitch , was actually gentle person by nature .

Although now he just wasn't in the mood for Tray's ball breaking .

'' That's real nice tray , I can always count on you for a bit of moral support in my time of pain ''

Tray shrugged his massive shoulders and replaced his ear protectors '' Self inflicted man , don't write the check if your body cant cash it ''

Before Atticus could respond , the accursed jack hammer started its repetitive crescendo again , each dig of the blade a painful punctuation on Atticus's brain

'' Ahhh fuck this , I just need shut my eyes for a few minutes and il be back on form '' Tossing his pick into a nearby mound of earth he started up the old dirt track to put some distance between him and the other workman .

Behind him Tray roared out over the noise '' Hey man , don't you go near that damn house , Alcide will have your butt in a sling , were doing this job for vampers remember ''

'' I just need to sit down some place for a minute all right , and its broad day light out , don't see no vamps around do you ? '' Tray waved him away in annoyance .

After walking a few minutes up the drive Atticus spied the old looking farm house nestled between the tree's , keeping a little distance from it he sauntered round the back to find a shady spot to relax for a while . He wondered why in hell it was so darn important to have this places drive way paved that Alcide had every guy on his crew working on it . This sure didn't look like any kind of vamp nest he had ever heard about . The flower beds overflowing with multi colours of posies and wild flowers were one clue , the well tended vegetable garden was another , what would vampires want with leeks ? .

His search was soon rewarded by the sight of an old oak tree just off the back veranda , its long limbs spread out to form a delicious looking pool of cool shade , easing himself down onto the ground with a groan he braced his tired back against its thick ancient trunk and instantly closed his eyes ...this was bliss .

The light tapping on his cheek brought Atticus back begrudgingly from his slumber , he tried swatting whatever it was away with his hand but after a moment it started again , he groaned and flicked his wrist out to shooe away whatever was dragging him back to reality .

Slowly he opened his eyes and blinked to bring the world back into focus , harsh light had him squinting at a blurred shadow in front of him , with one final rub of his eyes he focused on a pair of black orbs looking back at him .

What happened next could scarcely have been more choreography by chance than it was , yelling loudly in surprise Atticus jumped to his feat and tried to back away from the now shrieking form in front of him , he bounced of the old oaks thick trunk with force and stumbled forward with arms flailing , the shrieking form had fallen back in surprise at his sudden movements and had ungracefully landed on its back ...Atticus had only one place to fall , still yelling in shock he tumbled down and landed on something a lot softer than he had been expecting .


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey all **

**I'm sorry for the long break I've been at bit busy at work , I've also been going back through past chapters and correcting some silly mistakes I made . I can't believe how many ! **

**Will try and keep a more regular update pace from now on .**

**Thank you for your continued support and of course all your reviews . Also to all who read and reviewed my other drabble Endless limitless love , thanks for those reviews also , I can't believe how many people did comment . I'm glad you found it amusing , it only took me about an hour to do , I was raking my brain for content on this story and everything I was coming up with just sounded a bit lame so that inspired me to take the p*ss a little . **

**Not sure if this chapter is really up to snuff but the next few update will see the story getting upped a few notches and big bad Victor will be bursting onto the scene , dun, dun , dahh !.**

**I own nothing , this is all for the fun of it , I make no money ...well that's not true , I do make money but it's by sitting in an office all night and doing IT and not unfortunately from writing stories **

Sookie was roused from her slumber by the early morning sun , she was planning to allow herself a little sleep in considering she had somewhat of a late night by her normal standards , but now she could feel the sun's rays calling to her , it had been a few days since she had just got to bask in its light . The Sun seemed to have an energising effect on her and she didn't really feel right if she was out of it for too long.

Hopping out of bed she made her way into the bathroom to run through her morning routine , a short time later she emerged , scrubbed and brushed and polished . Pam had been kind enough to supplement some of her normal bathroom products , and while she still preferred her own home made lotions and shower oils , the toothpaste she now had was admittedly much nice than the bicarbonate soda mixed with wild mint leaves she had been using up till now .

Slipping on her old woolly bathrobe she pranced downstairs in a happy mood , last night had gone far better than she thought it would , it had even maybe been a little fun , she had got to hang out with Pam for a bit and talking with Eric had been nice as well strangely . She still didn't know what to think about that , if it all wasn't an act maybe she had been to quick to judge the old vampire , the car ride home last night had also been a good opportunity to get to know somewhat better , and she was very much aware it had been the first time she had been alone with him without Pam close to hand and she was still in one piece.

She also recalled there little moment regarding the injury to her neck he had caused , he did seem genuinely sorry about that , and for whatever reason she didn't want him to feel guilty , in a way things made more sense to her when she was just afraid of him , at least then she knew where she stood ...but now ?.

Maybe being friends with Eric Northman wouldn't be so bad .

Grabbing her wicker washing basket Sookie exited the house through the back door to grab her laundry off the line , she always preferred if possible to dry her cloths outside in the sun as she liked the smell much better than when she used the old stove to dry them .

Slipping pegs of the line one at a time she folded her linen neatly in the basket and hummed a little tune to herself.

Lost in the moment as she was she didn't hear the noise of the trucks until they were quite close , cocking her head slightly she detected the sound was coming from the front of the house .

'' Cheese and rice...the driveway ! '' Sookie squeaked

She had completely forgot Eric's words regarding the new drive way! , cursing herself for being so scatterbrained she desperately gathered up her washing and dashed back into the house to start drawing the curtains . Eric had said they wouldn't be coming to the house but she was still nervous about having anyone this close when she was all alone , she lamented it was such a shame to block out the sun's rays shining into her home but better safe than sorry .

Also it looked like sun bathing was off the menu today...damn it .

A few hours later Sookie was sat crossed legged on her couch putting the final touches to a new summer dress she had been making , She had other cloths now , nice store bought cloths , but old habits die hard and she had been self sufficient for so long she didn't really know any other way to live , and if nothing else she always enjoyed sewing , it had been one of her and grans favourite pass times on warm spring evenings . They would sit out on the old veranda while gran showed her all the different types of stitch , gran had been sewing since she was a little girl so Sookie had the benefit of over eighty years of experience to teach her the craft , and if nothing else it was just a good opportunity to sit on gran's lap and cuddle .

Squinting to add the last few details to the flower embroidery pattern on the hem , Sookie paused mid stitch...there was someone outside ...and they were getting closer .

Sookie dove onto the floor and scurried quickly on all fours to the back window , pinching a corner of the curtain she raised her head to peek out into the garden , at first she saw nothing but she could still feel the mind that was circling the house .

A few moments later the source of the mental signature came into view , Sookie could tell it was a man but due to the distance and lace curtain hanging from the window she couldn't make out to much more , reaching out with her disability she tried to get a bead on his thoughts .

'' _Think im...sick...need...be later...just...ins...''_

His thoughts were jumbled and hard to read , it was like a strange sort of mist kept wafting through his brain, stopping her from getting a complete picture , the feeling was ...gloopy ? .

The man had walked over to the old oak tree while she was trying to pick up his thoughts and had now taken a seat against its trunk , he wiggled and fidgeted to get comfortable she assumed , before leaning back and going perfectly still .

Sookie watched his lifeless form for an hour before even considering going outside , part of her was screaming that going out there would be a stupid idea , but the other part was wondering if perhaps he was ill and needed help , she had picked up the word ''Sick'' when she had been in his head , in fact it had been one of the few words she had managed to pick out of the mess , so it was possible he may be in need of assistance , she couldn't just leave him out their if he was sick could she ? , there was always the number Eric had given her for his ''Dayman '' whatever that was , but she hadn't even opened the box with the phone in it yet , never mind figure out how to use the thing

She promised herself once again she would ask Pam to teach her how to use it the next time she saw her ...maybe she could ask Eric , but maybe he wouldn't want to have to do something so menial for her , plus she already owed him for a lot of things so it might be best to ask Pam

This was also another reason she didn't want to ring Bobby , she didn't want to make trouble for anyone or be a bother .

The telepath could if she strained herself , pick up more thoughts further up her driveway but these were multiple signals and far to jumbled to get any sort of clear reading , plus the idea of approaching so many strangers was even scarier than the thought of approaching one .

Pam and Eric wouldn't have sent any one dangerous to her house surely ? ...this person maybe their friend even . After a further ten minutes of procrastinating Sookie slowly opened the backdoor and peered through the old screen netting at the unmoving stranger , his thoughts were now almost impossible to read , but she could detect the tell tale signs of a sleeping mind , they always had a sort of background hum to them , like the sounds you hear when you put your head under the water while in the bath , she could still hear them , but it was just a little muffled and distorted .

Taking care not to let the aged door squeak to much she gingerly made her way out onto the porch , on tip toes she started a process of taking a few steps , then pausing , then taking a few more steps until she was at the edge of the shade of the old tree .

Kneeling down to get a better look at the stranger she took stock of the features she could see .

He was about her age if she had to guess maybe a little older , he had sandy brown hair with wisps of a lighter colour flecked in , this fell to about his jaw and was at present in a messy tangle partially covering his face , the features that were not obscured seemed pretty defined and masculine, he had a small bit of stubble on his otherwise smooth looking chin ,his skin was slightly browned maybe sun kissed, he looked like he worked outdoors , his face reminded her a little of one of the pictures she had in her book , it was of a boy modelling some sort of hair product if she recalled correctly , she thought he looked handsome ...but probably not the best time to dwell on that .

Crawling slowly, she made her way bit by bit until she was close enough to reach out and poke his foot with her finger , his heavy looking boot moved under the force but otherwise he didn't stir.

Another minute passed before she repeated the process with a little more strength . Again his boot and this time part of his out stretched long leg jostled , but otherwise he did not budge . Crawling even more cautiously this time she approached him at a slight angle to allow a speedy retreat if something should go wrong .

With a slightly shaking hand Sookie raised her arm to poke him in the chest , the stranger flinched and Sookie jumped back like a scalded cat , retreating a few paces back the telepath waited for any further movement .

When none was forthcoming , Sookie again made her way back to the figure and once again kneeled beside him , chewing her lip nervously she reached out and tapped him gently on the cheek and waited for a reaction ...nothing .

Once more she repeated the process and this time resisted the urge to flee when the man's hand was raised to swat hers away , but otherwise ...still nothing .

Now greatly concerned that there was indeed something wrong with her '' Guest '' that he was this hard to rouse , concern overcame fear as she repositioned herself to awkwardly hover in front of him with his outstretched legs running underneath her .

With a more determined mindset now she began to tap the strangers cheek repeatedly until she was rewarded with his eyes slowly flickering open ...Sookie froze

She had not really prepared anything to say but was perhaps considering maybe to ask if he was alright , but any further potential conversation was put paid to as the stranger began to yell ...loudly!.

Sookie screamed in panic and was unseated from her knelling position to stager backwards and crash onto her rump before rolling onto her back .

Still screaming she raised her hands up defensively as the stranger seemed to launch himself forward before plummeting down straight on top of her , the air ''whooshed'' out of Sookie's lungs as the man's not inconsiderable weight pressed down hard on her small frame , her legs were forced open to accommodate the bulk that now rested atop her

Sookie's scream had been cut off mid flow by the oxygen that had abandoned her after the sudden impact , her vision blurred around the edges , as she attempted to gather herself , she felt the weight on top of her shift somewhat to alleviate some of the pressure , and this allowed her to suck in a little more precious air .

Blinking to clear the fuzz , Sookie focused on the face that now loamed directly over hers , confused chocolate brown eyes stared at her questioningly , sandy brown curtains of hair hung either side of his head and touched her cheeks lightly .

Sookie did the only thing she could think to do ...she Started screaming again .


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey all , as always thanks for the reviews and support , I would also like to send a big thank you to MY UNIVERSE who helped me sort out some problems with updating this story , she is the only reason I was even able to release that last chapter .**

**Thanks again for the help **

Atticus's brain had barely begun to process the sequence of events that had transpired in the last twenty seconds or so , one minute he had been sleeping soundly , the next he had been awoken rudely , then shocked into a reflex action , and now finally he was just grappling with the fact that the black orbs that had carried out the aforementioned rude awakening were in fact attached to a pair of sun glasses , that in turn were attached to a young pretty blond girl he was now straddling like a newlywed hot into the honeymoon suite .

And then the screaming started again .

Atticus had hung with women who had possessed a fair set of lungs in his day , he was after all a werewolf , the bitch with the loudest howl was always one to look out for during the full moon run and it was something of a competitive sport among the females of the pack , but the shrill piercing shriek that issued forth from this banshee in human form was something else entirely .

Even if his head hadn't already been in the convulsions of a ripping migraine the beating his ear drums were getting now would surely have brought one on .

Lifting one arm from its position of supporting some of his weight he pressed it into his left ear to get even a second of sweet reprieve from the hellish sound .

Sookie as soon as she saw the opening kicked and thrashed like her life depended on it , and as far as she knew , that very well might be the case . Rolling to one side Sookie kicked her legs out to get some leverage between their bodies and rocked onto her front , springing to all fours while still under the stranger she effectively jettisoned him off her and knocked him back further when his face collided with her rear end .

The impact on her behind was mistaken by Sookie as a further assault and lent her even more speed as she tore back to the house , literally leaving a dust trail in her wake from the sun parched lawn that had Atticus coughing and spluttering , as well as trying to shake of the impact of the derriere assault his face had just suffered .

By the time he had wiped the last of the dirt from his eyes the echo of a door slamming had dissipated and he was back to be being very much alone in the yard , one thought was present and clear in the young man's mind...what the hell had just happened ? .

Sookie had commando rolled over the back of the sofa once she safely inside and was now trying to still her rapidly beating heart , she hugged both old and tatty couch cushions to her chest in a ingrained comfort gesture .

Her eyes were fixed on the back door , in her haste she hadn't thought to lock it but the idea of going back to it now was as appealing as chewing glass , safe behind her sofa fort she waited to see what would happen next .

Atticus meanwhile had staggered to his feat slowly and began brushing off the dust and dirt from his encounter , not taking his eyes of the door in case of any further attack . After a few minutes of turning on the spot to see if he could see , hear or scent any other individual , he was satisfied that he indeed alone again .

The smart thing he was reasoning would be to turn round right now and head back to the rest of the crew , keep his head down and his eyes on his pick and hope nothing came of this . But at the same time he thought that ignoring the issue may not be a good idea , he summarised that for whatever reason he had obviously just scared the crap out of the resident of the house , and while he could also claim aggrieved status , he was the Man in the situation so perhaps he should be the one to try and smooth out this little misunderstanding .

With a last few adjustments to his attire and a quick sweep of his hand to smooth back his hair a little , he approached the backdoor of the old house with some trepidation .

The fist knock on the door sounded like a menacing BOOM to Sookie , still safe in her fortress of cushions and flower patterned cloth , although it had just been a small tap . The second didn't sound so bad as she was expecting it but it was still a very disconcerting noise , then the voice started .

'' Hey...err ...hello in there ? ...I'm sorry if I scared you...are you ok ? ''

The speakers words were muffled by the door but Sookie could still hear them well enough , she still didn't feel like answering .

'' Look...you don't have to be afraid , I'm with Herveaux construction...were doing the work on your drive ...you know , fixing your driveway ? ..., you in there ? ''

There was another round of knocking and then more silence , Sookie could hear the stranger make his way over to the back window and saw his silhouette against the beige heavy curtains , she jumped as the knocking started again but this time on the window , the sound carried more than when it was on the door , it didn't help the feeling of dread Sookie was suffering under .

'' Look , I'm real sorry I scared , you ...it's just...well , you kind of surprised me , if you could just come to the door ..or the window and tell me to go away so I know your alright , then I can get out of your hair , otherwise I'm guna be worried I hurt you some or something ...hello ? ''

Atticus paced up and down the back porch for a few more minutes tapping on the door and window in turn , to try and get some sort of response , he did really want to make sure she was alright , he had after all landed on her pretty hard , and she was a small looking thing from the fleeting glance he had managed to get , but at the same time he doubted any one hurt could move like a greased weasel with its butt on fire the way she had .

He also needed to smooth things out for his own sake , he was in a bad way here and he knew it , not only had he disregarded Alcide's rather specific instructions regarding the house , but he had also in essence , assaulted the occupant .

The Scenario of a frail looking , teary eyed blond girl describing how a big old mean sweaty man had jumped on her in her own garden flashed through his head , this could be made to look bad...very bad when you factored in that Vampires were somehow involved ...yeah , this could be bad , Atticus could feel his head start to throb again .

Just as the young were was beginning to plan his defence at the Pack meeting he expected he would soon be summoned to for judgement , the sound of a handle being turned and then the slow drawn out squeak of a door hinge brought his attention back to the present .

The old paint chipped door had opened just a crack and he could just about make out a shape shifting in the small gap .

Smiling he stepped forward with a greeting on his lips only to have it die when the door was quickly slammed shut again .

Turning his back to the house in frustration he ran the fingers on both hands through his hair and growled slightly , taking a few paces back he pondered the situation with a frown

As his foot completed the third back step the door cracked open once more with the same lazy squeak .

Having learned his lesson , Atticus raised both hands in a surrender gesture and remained where he was

'' Look please don't close the door again , I just want to explain ok '' The figure behind the door did not respond

'' Errr...can you understand me ? , I mean can you hear me and talk and stuff ? '' He kicked himself mentally and the stupidity of asking a person if they were deaf or mute , how the hell would they hear or bloody answer .

'' Well if you can , hear I mean and I'll have to assume you can talk , my names Atticus ...what's yours?

The shape behind the door remained silent for a few moments and the next thing Atticus expected to hear was the sound of the door slamming again , instead his ears strained to hear a soft little voice utter one word

''Sookie ''

Atticus nodded and smiled at the door crack , he had never met a Sookie before

'' Sookie...well I guess it's nice to meet you Sookie...if I step closer are you going to slam that door again ? '' Atticus tried to keep his voice as amiable as possible , he needed to clear up a few more things before he could high-tail it out of there and he would prefer to not have a conversation with a shadow and a doorframe .

Sookie had been trying to get a handle on Atticus's thoughts since she had opened the door , it was still really hard to read him and she was still only getting small fragments , but from what she was getting she didn't pick out anything particularly negative , she could tell he was worried about something but wasn't sure what , he was also apparently genuine in his desire to make sure she was not harmed when he fell on her , the words ''Fall'' and ''accident '' had been in there so she may have been hasty in her interpretation of the events that had transpired outside a few short minutes ago .

So with all that in mind Sookie took a short sharp breath to steel her nerves and Opened the door wider

Atticus watched silently as the door slowly opened and the girl took two baby steps forward to bring her just outside the frame , he couldn't stop his eye brows making the journey straight up , his earlier label of pretty blond now all of a sudden seemed woefully inadequate , this girl was damn HOT! .

Even slightly dishevelled and with a fearful pained look on her cute face , she was one hell of a package, he had never really Subscribed to the whole blond bomb shell thing but he might have to change his mind on this one , her little white dress clung to her small frame in all the Wright places teasing the viewer with a ghost of what lay underneath, and of course he couldn't fail to perhaps linger a little to long on the fairly impressive assets she was rocking up front .

He subconsciously touched his own chest for an instant as the thought that perhaps they were the reason that fall didn't hurt that much...excellent cushioning

He wished he could see her eyes but he was willing to bet they would be a pretty blue colour , the silver shades she wore did look a little out of place on someone obviously so nervous .

Realising he had just been staring at her Atticus cleared his throat and stepped closer with his hand outstretched for a greeting

Sookie immediately took two steps back into the house and covered half her body with the door frame again

Atticus returned to his previous position and resumed the surrender gesture

''wow , easy , easy ...I'm not going to hurt you I swear , I was just going to shake your hand , it's ok , you're right , handshakes are old fashioned...anyway like I said I'm Atticus and I just wanted to say, you know... sorry for that little mishap and I hope I didn't hurt you none ...errmm...did I ? ''

Sookie stepped back out a fraction before giving a little shake of her head

Atticus smiled gratefully and ran his fingers through his hair '' Well that's good , you had me worried there for a sec ...so is this your house ? ''

He didn't want to jump straight into asking her to maybe not tell anyone he had been here , so at the very least he needed to get the girl to talk to him , and to his mind she was more than easy on the eyes so a little chit-chat wouldn't be to unpleasant .

For a moment Atticus thought she wasn't going to answer but then the soft little voice piped up again and this time he could detect a slight southern twang

'' Yes...this is my house ...are you sick ? ''

The question caught the Youngman a little off guard , did she mean physically or was she asking if he was a deviant of some sort .

'' Sick..no ..well actually I was a little , that's why I'm up here , I just wanted to get a little rest before getting back to work ...is that why you woke me up ? ''

Sookie nodded her head slowly , she was still unsure about this boy but he seemed to be no threat as far as she could tell , it probably helped that she liked the way his hair tussled when he ran his fingers through it ...she wondered what it felt like .

Atticus smiled at her concern , pretty girls sometimes had a tendency to be a bitch in his experience , but it seems his new friend was not among those ranks .

'' Well thanks for the concern but I'm fine I'm just a bit hung-over '' he admitted somewhat sheepishly

Sookie tilted her head a little and frowned '' Hung-over what ? ''

Atticus regarded her for a moment to see if she was pulling his leg but she seemed to be waiting for him to explain further '' You know...hung-over...I had to much to drink last night ? ''

Sookie made an ''0'' shape with her mouth and nodded again...she still didn't understand but thought best to drop it

'' Well anyway ..I was kinda wondering if it's alright , and if your sure you're not hurt an all if maybe we could keep this little..misunderstanding between us ? ...that is if you don't mind ''

Sookie had shuffled a little further out onto the veranda as they had been talking , more and more of her fear was dissipating and now she felt a bit silly half hiding in the door way .

'' I don't mind , I think Pam and Eric might get mad at me anyway , I don't think I was supposed to talk to anyone who was doing the work on the drive ...well Eric might get mad , Pam would probably wouldn't mind ''

'' Eric...Eric Northman ?'' Atticus's face fell at the mention of the vampire , if that's who she was talking about then...

''Yep , that's him , are you friends with him ? '' The smile on Sookie's face was in Atticus's mind a sharp contrast to her question , was he friends with the Vampire sheriff of area five ?

But still it was a very nice smile

'' Well...I wouldn't really call us friends , I mean I know who he is an all , and I saw him once , but friends might not be the best description...you know he's ..well ...a Vampire right ? ''

Sookie did her happy little nod again , once more Atticus was finding it hard to separate the cute little gestures and sweet demeanour with what was actually being said.

'' Yep, I know , so is Pam , Pam's my friend , I guess Eric is sort of as well but it's a bit harder to tell with him , Pam definitely is though , actually she's my best friend '' There's that smile again Atticus thought .

Rubbing his head in a confused fashion Atticus puffed out his cheeks a little , he had never heard of Vampire's being friends with anyone , the only humans they hung around were...could Sookie be one of those '' Kind of women'' ? . She sure as shit didn't look the sort , or smell it , that's for sure , he had seen the dejected bottom feeders that hung round fangers , they were basically junkies in rubber corsets and dog collars , one foot already in the grave , he wasn't really in a position to make to much of a judgement on the girl in front of him after knowing her for less than five minutes but he wouldn't have put Sookie in a room with a Vampire in a million years .

'' Is Pam a little blond thing with a rather icy stare ? '' Atticus didn't know the name of Northman's lieutenant but it might be a safe bet that's who the girl was talking about .

Sookie's lips pulled into a thin line before she responded '' Pam has a nice smile..it's not ICY '' Her tone was drier than Atticus had heard so far

Sensing he may have messed up a little , Atticus tried to do some damage control

'' Well yeah , I bet it's a nice smile...maybe she smiles different at you than...everybody else , but I'm sure it's nice ''

Mildly placed Sookie nodded '' Yes I think so as well ''

'' Well anyway , best get out of your hair ...so are we cool on the whole not talking about me being up here thing ? '' Atticus tried to put on his best '' are we ok '' face

Sookie nodded once more and returned the smile '' yes were...Cool '' she tried out the word like she had just tasted something new and decided she liked it .

'' Well alright then , it was nice meeting you Sookie '' Atticus extended his hand again without thinking but remembered the reaction from last time , so was caught in the process of withdrawing it when Sookie raised her own hand , she didn't try and shake Atticus's hand but simply left it extended it front of her , Atticus grinned at the display before stepping forward a little and slipping his hand into hers and slowly shaking it , Sookie limply let him do the work at first before catching on and then adding her own efforts in the now quite enthusiastic handshake .

After a moment when Atticus realised she probably wouldn't stop if he didn't disengage them , he retracted his arm , and with some amusement noted the disappointed look on the girls face as if he had just spoiled her new game .

'' Well anyway , like I said I better make a move and get back to work '' Atticus was back down on the lawn before Sookie's voice caught his attention again

Sookie was a little sad now oddly enough that her visitor was leaving ,pretty much all her earlier fear had been forgotten during their little exchange , she had kept up her attempts to get a clear picture in his head but was still stuck with only partial fragments of thoughts and shapes , it seemed somehow familiar but couldn't really place it , the important thing was that there was no hostile intent only curiosity and maybe a few other things she couldn't get a bead on , she was actually a little glad now she had been scared to start with , as it had no doubt stopped the blush she would have had if she weren't afraid ...he thought she was pretty .

His hand had felt different to Pam and Eric's as well , it was warm , and a nice kind of warm

Before she could let him go she wanted to ask something that had been at the back of her thoughts since he said his name .

'' Atticus '' She tried to inject a little confidence into her voice

When the boy turned around and smiled at her again she felt a little tingly sensation in her belly but pushed it aside to ask her question .

'' Atticus...is that like ''Atticus '' from the book ? ''

He smiled and looked down while scuffling his foot in the grass in boyish fashion that brought another tingly belly feeling that Sookie was now becoming a fan of '' Yeah , yeah it is '' he replied

'' I guess there aren't to many people in this part of America who haven't read that book , but you're the first to mention it in a while ''

Sookie looked down at her hands as she twisted them in front of her , she suddenly felt very self conscious

'' It was my Gran's favourite book , she used to read it to me all the time , I used to read it a lot to but it got all damp and mouldy after a couple of bad winters and I had to throw it away ''

Sookie recalled she had been very upset by that , the house could get awfully damp during the colder seasons and mould would often grow on her books and drawings . To have to throw away one of her Grandmothers prised possessions had her balling her eyes out for days afterwards .

Atticus frowned and thrust his hands into his pockets before rocking on his heels '' That's a damn shame , I haven't read it myself in a couple of years but I always enjoyed it when I did , my mamma loved it as well , took a bit of doing but she convinced my daddy that it would make a good name for me ''

'' It is '' Sookie replied without really thinking, then blushed before looking down and scuffing her own foot on the old floorboards of the porch mimicking Atticus from a moment ago

'' Well like I said , it was nice to meet you Sook '' Sookie grinned even more at the sound of her new apparent nickname , she had never had one before , well aside from ''Angel'' or ''Little one '' that Pam and Eric used...she rather liked this one .

With wave and a backward glance Atticus made his way around the house , before he was out of earshot he heard the belated '' Nice to meet you to '' fired his way in the sweet southern twang

After a short walk Atticus returned to the rest of the work crew still labouring away on the drive , Tray had finished his work with the jack-hammer and was in the process of mixing up some new gravel and grit , raising his head to his recently returned colleague he raised an eyebrow

'' What the hell has you looking like the wolf that ate the canary ? '' He asked in his gruff tone

Atticus retrieved his pick and hefted it high before bringing it down sharply into the ground

'' Not a damn thing Tray , not a damn thing '' He replied with a grin


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello all **

**Very sorry for the long break I just haven't had the time to write as much as I would have liked , I have got a pretty good draft of more than half the story now so will be updating more frequently for the next few weeks . Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me , and of course for the reviews many of you have taken the time to do .**

**I hope this new material is up to snuff **

**Legal Bumf as norm , I do not own most of these fine Characters they are the property of the ever talented Ms Harris . I make no profit from this it's just for a bit of enjoyment for me and hopefully my readers **

Sookie crossed her arms over her ample chest and pouted her lips , her face was fixed with a look of determination mixed with a small amount of discomfort . Mirroring her stance from across the booth was Pam , but the vampires visage was set with mischief and resolve .

'' Say IT '' Pam popped the T in a slight hiss

'' No '' Sookie forced as much authority into her voice as she could , she felt like stamping her foot to emphasize her point but resisted as she thought perhaps that might be going too far .

'' Say it Sookie , I don't see what the big deal is , you said yourself it's pretty much all anyone is thinking in here , so what's the big deal ? ''

Sookie blushed and fidgeted with her hands , she was really starting to regret discussing the thoughts of Fangtasia clientele , at first it had been a sort of training exercise where in Pam would pick out a random customer and Sookie would try and fix in on that one persons thoughts . The trouble was that soon it had become apparent that pretty much every individual in the club male or female was only really thinking about one thing...being intimate with someone .

That is exactly how Sookie had described it to Pam , but after the third or fourth time she had used this term Pam had asked her to be a little more exact in her description . Sookie had tried to use ''Hugging with enthusiasm '' and ''special kissing'' but this had only fanned the flames of Pam's amusement and had her head rocking back in laughter at her friends clear discomfort . So that is how the current Mexican stand off had come to pass , Pam was determined to make Sookie ''Say it '' and Sookie was of the mind that you just didn't talk about that kind of thing in polite conversation , after all what would her Gran think ! .

'' It's just a word Sookie , it can't hurt anyone , why can't you even say it ? ''

'' Because...because..its rude '' Sookie had lent in to almost whisper the last part , like a conspirator planning some atrocity .

'' It's not rude Sookie it's just a normal natural part of life...or death if you're a Vampire ''

Pam's lips pulled into a slight smirk Sookie found very reminiscent of Eric as She shimmied gracefully over as only a Vampire can till she was snugly sidled next to the blushing girl .

'' Soookkkiiiee'' Pam teased in the voice she used solely for the purpose of embarrassing her friend

'' You're a healthy young woman like any other...well maybe not like ANY other but the fact is even if you're not a hundred percent human , you still must have ...urges like the rest ...right ? ''

Sookie squirmed in her seat like someone had just lit a fire under the burgundy leather , she didn't like where this was going .

'' I think I'd like another glass of water '' The telepath attempted to stand but was quickly but none the less gently pulled back down into Pam's waiting arms .

'' One of the girls can get you one '' as if by some magic as soon as Pam had finished this statement , one of Fangtasia's ever eager and scantly clad waitress appeared with a smile to take Pam's hastily barked order , the disruption over she returned to her new favourite game , seeing how many different shades of pink and red she could make Sookie turn , so far she thought she had identified at least four different distinct tints .

'' When you say...are in the bath , and I know how you like to bathe , do you ever ...scrub ALL over'' Pam had somehow managed to make every word of that stamen sound lascivious

Sookie felt like she wanted to crawl out of her skin , how could someone who clearly cared about her as Sookie was certain Pam did , enjoy torturing her so much ! .

''I...I..don't know what you mean , ...I guess I do make sure I wash all over yes...why ? '' the girls meek voice had dropped to the level you would have to be a vampire to hear her .

'' I think you know '' Pam sung in a chirpy sing song voice '' It's my duty as your friend my little human , to bring you out of this pretty shell of yours so on that note I'm going to make a deal with you'' Pam licked her lips and waggled her eyebrows in yet another action that drew comparisons with her Maker .

'' I'm going to give you what the humans like to call the QED on...self enjoyment...and anytime you want me to stop , you know the word I want to hear '' Sookie cringed as Pam leant in to begin whispering in her ear , there really was no escape .

Across the room Eric Northman , Vampire sheriff or Area five and ruler of all he currently surveyed was doing his abject best to look disinterested and menacing , for the throngs of human chaff that gathered round the bar sneaking not so subtle glances at him . Some , and these were just the bold ones , even tried to catch his roving eye , all manner of duplicitous and odd behaviour was used to attempt to peak his interest but no amount of flashed fake boobs or almost pornographic dancing was enough to steal his concentration from looking over at his private booth . He had been observing his child and Sookie pretty much since he was forced to leave them and take his turn on this accursed throne , at first the women had seemed to be just chatting away like old friends but now the mood had clearly shifted and Pam was pretty much on top of Sookie for some reason.

Vampire hearing as impressive as it was did have its limits , when used in a heaving night club full of music and background noise , add to that it seemed that Pam was whispering into Sookie's ear and the much annoyed elder vampire was left out in the cold as to what they were discussing , but whatever it was it had Sookie turning the most delicious looking colours that he could admire even from this distance .

Eric's attention momentarily shifted as he became aware of a sudden change of vibe in the direction of the bar , he scowled to see that yet again Longshadow had become more than a little irate with a customer, and thrown a drink in the direction of a chubby Goth girl dressed in far too much rubber , the thick viscous looking liquor had covered the front of the girls corset and was dripping in blobs down her face . A certain amount of disdain and rough treatment was what in a way a lot of the humans who came here were paying for but of late Longshadow seemed to be losing his cool a bit too much , the sheriff sighed unnecessarily and made a mental note to take the bartender and part share holder to heel about his behaviour , he didn't need any unwelcome hassle from the human authorities should the Indian take things too far .

Looking back over in the direction of Pam and Sookie he again attempted to zero his hearing into their private little chat .

Eric berated himself for the feeling of longing that he felt at being left out of whatever the conversation going on across the room was about , he was a sheriff , an ancient vampire of status and respect , he should not be anxious to eaves drop on his Childs and a humans words ...but he was .

Huffing loudly Eric plucked his Blackberry from his leather jackets pocket and began furiously texting an associate in some of his business dealing to take his mind off being left out ...he did not care ...he did not care , he was bloody Eric North...

The sheriffs inner monologue was cut short by a voice he now knew more than a little well , expect this was the first time he had ever heard it raised above a small gentle tone , it cut through the club like a knife and almost brought the entire room to a standstill .

'' OH GOD PAM , SEX , OK , SEX SEX SEX SEXY SEX JUST PLEASE STOP !''.

By the time Eric's Blackberry had hit the floor by his raised chair , he himself was standing in front of Pam and Sookie's booth with what can only be described a curious and semi desperate look about him .

Sookie had buried her face in her hands and was trying to will herself to shrink into her chair , any chance of getting an explanation from Pam would have to wait for the time being ...she had yet to stop laughing .

Pam hummed a happy tune to herself as she divided her time between watching the quiet and dark Bon Temps back road and observing her equally quite passenger .

'' I don't think I'm going to be able to show my face back there again '' Sookie moaned in a defeated and tired voice

Pam quirked an eyebrow at her friend '' What's wrong with your face ? , it's an infinitely more pleasant one than the majority of those miscreants posses '' .

Sookie huffed ''That's not what I meant Pam , I can't believe I shouted that out in the middle of a crowded bar , they must have thought I was some kind of freak ''

The Vampires face hardened at her passengers words

'' Do not use that word Sookie when referring to yourself , I dislike it . And you can bet your sweet ass that stranger things have been shouted out in that club believe you me ''.

The rest of the drive to Sookie's home was completed in silence , each occupant lost in their own thoughts .

Once back in the comfort of her living room Sookie shucked off her lavender kitten heals and plopped down on her old comfy sofa , she had acquired the shoes on her shopping trip with Pam , she had liked the colour and once Pam had told her what this style of shoe was called Sookie had immediately wanted the Pair , she thought the name was cute .

Pam sat down next to her in a much more refined manner and crossed her legs at the ankle , brushing off an imaginary bit of lint from her velvet skirt she turned her body slightly to face Sookie

'' Sookie ...in all seriousness , about what I was talking about tonight ..''

The telepaths groan cut the vampire off '' Please Pam , no more tonight , I don't want to talk about that stuff...it's a little gross ''

Pam pursed her lips but her voice and body langue remained calm and relaxed '' It is certainly not 'gross' as you put it but what I wanted to say was...well...have you really never thought about being with someone ? , you know like a boyfriend ...or even a husband ? . ''

Sookie allowed her head to loll back and stared absently at the ceiling , after a few moments of counting cracks and giving the matter some thought she began speaking in a small voice , not turning her head to face her friend .

'' I used to think about getting married some times...and I guess I still dream of a big wedding and stuff every now and then ...but...it's never going to really happen so what's the point , it's just one of those things you dream about to pass the time , everybody has dreams that will never come true right ? '' .

Pam frowned as she reached over to claim one of Sookie's hands '' But why is it just a dream ? ''

Sookie mirrored her frown as she turned her head to now look at her friend '' Well ...look at me '' She shrugged her shoulders as if to emphasise the most obvious point

'' I am looking at you , I see nothing wrong , in fact I see more than a bit right '' Pam attempted to keep the exasperation out of her voice .

Shaking her head Sookie returned to looking at the ceiling and slid a little further down into the sofa '' I don't mean what you can see , I guess I'm pretty...well maybe a little , Gran always used to think that but she was Gran so she always thought nice things about me , what I meant was , who I am , what I am , my disability , how I've lived my life , how would I explain that to anyone ...who would ever except it ? '' .

Sookie leant forward to rest her elbows on her knees with arms folded protectively in front or herself and stared into space

'' It's just...it's just one of those things that I don't get to have ...that's all ''

Pam opened her mouth to speak further but once again Sookie cut her off '' I'm really tired Pam , I'm going to get changed and go to bed , thanks for driving me home ''.

Sookie gingerly rose to her feat signalling the end of their talk , before she could turn fully towards the stairs Pam stopped her and pulled her in for a quick hug , Sookie offered a small weary smile as she pulled away and shuffled off upstairs .

Pam stood on Sookie quite porch for a time mulling over the talk she had just had with her little human friend . In truth she had of late realised that it was in many ways a bit frustrating dealing with some of the issue's that were thrown up by her friendship with the girl . She didn't for minute regret her relationship with Sookie , far from it , if anything the more time she spent with the telepath the more she came to value her presence in her existence , Sookie brought fresh ideas and sensations that were to Pam as an immortal greatly enjoyed .

But she had always been a Vampire of action and deed , in the past any problems or challenges she encountered were quickly brought to task , she dominated and fought and manipulated till she no longer had the problem . But things could not be so easily dealt with regarding Sookie's issue's , a gentle hand was of course required , but Pam was finding it difficult to deal with a lifetime of Sookie's preconceived notions and experiences , almost a decade of neglect and abandonment pressed down on her , twisting and distorting her self image , sometimes Pam found it painful to watch as she wondered on occasion would she ever be able to make Sookie see just how special and valuable she truly was .

Ensuring the door was locked behind her Pam exited the porch and climbed back into her Car , she had promised to give Eric and exact account of her conversation with Sookie and how she came to be yelling what she had been yelling in the club , Pam had attempted to brush it off but Eric had threatened to make it a sires command if he had to , this was despite he had not played that card in many years .

Strangely , as funny as it was at the time , she no longer wished to talk about it now .


	33. Chapter 33

Eric stretched out his long muscled legs under his desk as he lounged back into his imported Turkish black leather chair ...he was bored . It was Sookie's night off tonight so Pam had likewise given herself the night off , he should have been annoyed by this but to be fair Pam rarely took time off when she was needed so he couldn't hold it against her that much..well maybe a little .

Not only was he deprived the company of his newest toy tonight , perhaps explaining his somewhat dark mood , but also by some strange twist of fate tonight was one of the few in no small amount of time that he as sheriff did not have any duties or responsibilities to endure . Even the club and other business paper work was up to date , he could of course if he really tried find something or other to do on that front but Eric despised 'make work ' , he did not see the point in carrying out some menial task simply to pass a little time .

The vibration in his pocket alerted him to an incoming call , fishing it out and flicking open the screen his bored expression quickly dried up when he saw the display , it was Sookie ? .

'' Hello '' Eric's voice had an almost disbelieving quality to it , this was the first time the girl had ever called him if it was indeed her .

''mmmmm..is that Eric '' The dainty southern twang and small voice confirmed it was indeed his telepath and some day if he had his way , lover

'' Sookie , to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure ? '' Eric's tone dipped on the word pleasure as he grinned to himself

'' Oh good it is you , this is the first time I've used this thing and I think I may have called a few other people by mistake ''.

Chuckling Eric pushed back to sit up straighter in his chair , there was no need to hide his body language , he was interested in this call '' I can assure you Sookie , that it is I , the one and only ''

''mmmmm..well good , look I know your busy an all but do you have a minute to talk...please ''

Standing to his full height Eric paced around to the front of his desk and sat on one corner

''I am rather busy but I can always make time for you my Sookie '' If Sookie made any note of the possessive term she didn't let on , but Eric choose to find it encouraging that she did not comment .

'' Are you sure ? , I wouldn't want to get in the way of your work , it's not real important or anything but...''

'' As I said Sookie , I can always make time '' Eric eyes scanned around his office that he was now finding to be incredibly dull , he resolved to make some new plans for this evening , ones infinitely more interesting than sitting in his chair bored out of his skull .

'' In Fact Sookie I feel like getting a little air , so let's kill two birds with one stone so to speak , I shall see you in a short while '' Snapping shut his phone Eric effectively ended any further protests from the girl . It was about time he started manoeuvring to get a little further into Sookie's good graces , and that in turn he was sure would lead him to getting into other things as well .

Shutting down his computer the sheriff clicked off his desk lamp and whisked his coat from the hook by the door , his prospects for an entertaining night had just gone from nought to sixty , blurring out the door and taking to his car he made even faster time than that in heading to Bon Temps .

Sookie stared at the phone in her hands for a few moments before slipping it back into the winne the pooh cover Pam had purchased her , had Eric just invited himself to her house ? . She had debated for sometime before calling him about the wisdom of such action, but as what she needed help with by its very nature could not involve Pam her other choices where pretty much nil .

Puffing her cheeks out she tried to reason with herself that it would probably be ok , more and more Eric had begun to prove to her that he wasn't any risk to her anymore , the early days of abject terror and then extreme skittishness seemed farther and farther away now ...at least she hoped it would be ok .

In an attempt to take her mind off it , Sookie decided that it might be nice to feed the critters , she had been neglecting them of late and she didn't want them to think she had completely forgotten them now her life was filled with Vampire and mobile phones , and a number of other weird and wonderful things.

Scrapping the crusts and left over's from her dinner into a small basket , she slipped on her favourite old woollen cardigan over her dress and sauntered out into the night air , flicking the stiff old switch for the back porch light the rear yard was illuminated in a bright glare , it had been a number of years since she had been actually able to use the light but Eric had supplied her with a fresh bulb to replace the long dead one , it was one of the many things the vampire had arranged to be delivered to effect minor repairs to her ageing house . She had asked Pam how in fact he had known that she had even needed half the items but her friend had simply replied cryptically that there was not a lot Eric did not know and to leave it at that .

Walking a short distance to just outside the lights perimeter she sat down crossed legged and made herself comfortable , she never needed to wait long .

In less than a few minutes the first of the critters as she liked to call them began to emerge from the shadows and scampered up to the eagerly awaiting girl , the first to make it to her was an old shabby looking Raccoon the muddled colour of oily dirt , he sniffed at Sookie's bare feet engendering delighted giggles from the girl before diving snout first into the basket in her lap . Soon other Louisiana nightlife crept crawled and scurried over to join in the feast . A single cheeky squirrel darted up her outstretched arm as she was feeding some crusts to a second raccoon who had joined the first , its small feet and claws tickled and pricked her as it ran across her shoulders and up and down each arm , she winced and laughed when it rooted its nose in her ear .

For as long as she could recall she had delighted in feeding any spare food she happened to have to what where for the longest time her only visitors , and what sookie liked to think of as friends , she could not if she was honest always tell them apart but still often liked to give them little pet names .

Soon all the food had been eaten but most of the critters chose to stay and play with the happy telepath and each other , Sookie mediated any disputes between the species as best she could and for the most part they deferred to her authority , if any ever did get a little out of hand a swift berating from her kowtowed them and offers of guilty submission where quickly made.

Sookie felt the Raccoon in her lap that she had been stroking go stiff and raise its furry hackles , sniffing the air it jumped from her lap and circled around her huffing and mewling in little grunts . The girl quickly took note that all the others now seemed to be in a state of alert as well but she was at a loss to the reason why , closing her eyes Sookie cast out her mental nets , she quickly felt the void in her mind she now knew to be the tell tale sign of a vampire , it seemed her other guest for the night had arrived .

Eric had been watching in rapt fascination from the tree line for a number of minutes , when he had at first arrived at the front of the house his hearing had quickly detected the sound of Sookie's laughter from the rear of the property , his curiosity pricked he set out to investigate what his little human was up to , if he had been expecting anything it was most certainly not what his eyes beheld .

Sookie seemed to be sitting just in the shadows outside the range of the new light he had Bobby Burman purchase , he had noticed it non functioning on his first reconnoitring of the girls property and made a mental note to address that situation along with a number of others regarding the girls home .

His Telepath it appeared was in fact not alone , small creatures of verifying descriptions gathered around her frolicking and playing in the moonlight , more than a few actually seemed to be crawling on her . Sookie's tinkling laughter at their antics cut the night air in appealing bursts , Eric could not keep the bewildered smile from his face , was this normal ? . He had to admit to a certain ignorance when it came to fauna of just about any kind , he vaguely recalled from his human days having to deal with cattle and of courses horses where a large part of daily life but once made a vampire the animal kingdom ceased to be of any great importance to his kind . Animals in general avoided Vampires as a matter of course , their enhanced senses detected the smell of death about them and while not completely understanding their nature most creatures knew well enough to leave them well alone .

Where these animals truly wild ? , He did not recall Pam making mention of any pets Sookie kept and there seemed to be a great number of these things and an equally great variant of species .

More research Eric decided was in need , but at first glance this would appear to be not the norm .

Stepping forward out of cover the vampire made his way closer to the girl and in doing so betrayed his presence to Sookie's guests , when within a few feet of her he could see small forms darting in every direction , scurrying back in to the shadows from whence they came leaving him alone with the object of his interest .

'' Good evening Sookie , I hope I am not interrupting anything '' Eric closed the last bit of distance to tower over the still sitting girl .

The Telepath sheepishly brushed the last of the crumbs from her dress before rising slowly to meet her visitor '' No , sorry I was just passing the time and I haven't played with them for a little while ''

Eric nodded sagely before looking out into the darkness '' They are yours ? , your pets ? ''

Sookie shrugged and shuffled her feat '' Well , I wouldn't call them pets , there just critters who live in the woods I guess , they come and go as they please , they seem to like me and I think they're cute so we hang out some times ...do vampires keep pets ? ''

Eric wondered if Sookie had any clue what a loaded question that was to ask a vampire , especially considering the relationship he was planning for her but he would guess not .

'' We do in a fashion...but not the same as most , perhaps I will tell you about it sometime , but not tonight , so what is it you wished to speak to me about little one ? ''

'' Oh yeah about that ...do you want to come inside ? , I've got some of that blood but not real blood stuff Pam left in my fridge if you would like one '' Sookie's ingrained southern manners passed down from her Gran had kicked in .

'' I would be happy to accept your hospitality yes '' Smiling Eric placed his hand on the small of Sookie's back and guided her back the house , he found the sight of her small bare feet padding through the green grass strangely arousing .

Once inside Eric made himself comfortable on the largest of the homes old armchairs and waited patiently while Sookie pottered about the kitchen heating water to warm the bottle of true blood , he had by now committed most of the details of Sookie's family homestead to memory but still found himself looking for new little details to take note of , a short time later she emerged with the bottle neatly arranged on a antique wooden tray complete with napkins , Eric grinned at the domestic arrangement and took the bottle with thanks .

Settling herself into the couch opposite Sookie began by clearing her throat and fidgeting a little before speaking '' Are you sure I'm not troubling you too much , I didn't expect you to drop everything and come all the way out here just for me ''.

'' I can assure you it was no trouble , I said if you ever needed anything you could ask me and it pleases me you took me at my word , now what is it I can do for you ? ''

'' Ok well , it's just this , I would like to maybe try and get hold of a little of the money in my Gran's bank account but I don't know how , do you think you could maybe help me with that ? '' Sookie winced a slight pinched expression at asking the question , she wasn't a hundred percent certain how Eric was going to react to her asking favours of him , she half expected to perhaps receive a rebuke for asking .

Eric straightened a little in his chair '' Is there something you need Sookie ? , something you desire to purchase we have not provided for you ''

Sookie quickly held up her hands and spoke hurriedly '' No , no , you and Pam have been really kind , I don't need anything , it's just well...I'd like to get something for Pam , you know , like a present . It's just she's gotten me so much and done lots of things for me and I just thought it would be nice to do something in return ...not that you haven't done lots as well '' the girl added the last part on quickly , she wasn't sure if she sounded ungrateful to Eric as he had to be fair done a lot also .

Smiling , Eric held up his own hand to show he had taken no offense '' I understand perfectly Sookie , if you wish to show your gratitude to Pam I'm sure she would be heartened to know you think that highly of her , although I'm also sure no such act is required to let her know that '' Eric however didn't speak aloud his own thought that he would very much like to be on the receiving end of her gratitude at some point , but money would most certainly not be required for what he had in mind.

In fact this request may be an excellent opportunity to ingratiate himself with the object of his desire

'' If it is your wish to claim your birthright then I will of course aid you in reclaiming what is by law yours , however the process could be somewhat complicated , let me offer a solution for the time being if you will ? ''.

Sookie nodded her head for him to continue

'' Why don't you and I go and procure something you feel is fitting for Pam to receive as a gift and I shall cover the expense '' Eric could see Sookie's protests being formed so before she could give them voice he continued

'' Once we have secured your own funds you may if you so wish reimburse me for the cost , but I assure it is not at all necessarey , I can see the affection you hold for my child i find it gratifying ''

Sookie mulled this over for a moment before smiling her light up the sky smile , that as ever seemed to warm something in Eric's loins when it was directed at him , and if in truth also even when it was not .

'' Alright , as long as I can pay you back then that sounds like a good plan , so when do you think you would be free to maybe start looking ''

Rising from his chair Eric placed his untouched bottle of True blood on the coffee table and stepped forward to hold out his hand for Sookie to take

'' There is no time like the present little one '' Sookie looked at the offered appendage for a moment before placing her own tiny hand in comparison , into his , lifting the girl out of her seat with ease Eric led her to the door . Stopping momentarily to secure the property , the telepath and the vampire ventured out into the night

. Eric was please Sookie made no attempt to let go all the way to his car he only released her with regret once she was situated comfortably in the front seat of his waiting corvette.

Shopping had never interested him much , Eric tended to defer such things to Pam . But he had to admit he was actually looking forward to this little outing , and if it helped lay the ground work for more with just the two of them then all the better . He had been enjoying the subtle ministrations to their budding relationship , it could be a little frustrating sometimes but he consoled himself that it would make the rewards all the sweeter , and in truth it actually quite fun , he had not had to work so hard and so delicately at something in a very long time , Sookie was no nut for his usual sledgehammer .

Gunning the corvette down the new drive way he had funded Eric stole small glances to asses Sookie's mood , she appeared comfortable which was good , when last they had journeyed together he had detected slight signs of frayed nerves , she was no doubt at that point thinking that it was the first time they had spent anytime truly alone together .

'' Sooo..what do you think Pam would like ? , I've got top admit that shopping isn't something that I'm really good at , Pam did most of the work last time , I think she kinda loves it ''

Eric smirked and nodded his head in agreement '' As someone who has funded her habit for quite some time I think you are very astute in your observation , but I myself must admit a little ignorance to what Pam likes to call the subtle nuances of retail hunting ''

Turning slightly he smiled widely at Sookie showing just the barest hint of fang in his grin

'' But I'm sure a beautiful and talented telepath with the aid of a dashingly handsome ancient vampire can sort something out ''

Blushing at the praise, Sookie smiled back '' Yes...yes I'm sure we can '' .


	34. Chapter 34

'' ooohhhhh its so Pretty ! ''

Sookie mashed her face against the glass of the Gilded Pin jewellery shop window , Eric chuckling at the small happy dance Sookie seemed to be unaware she was doing , walked up behind her to see what had got the girl so worked up

They had been happily perusing up and down the St Helier late night strip mall for an hour or so now , from Eric's point of view the time had gone very quickly , Sookie had kept him entertained with little stories of her past , or points of view on some of the new and to her strange items and objects they had seen in the windows . Sookie's shields as she called them seemed to be holding up as there were few other fellow shoppers out tonight , she would occasionally feel the need to massage her temples a little , but other than that showed no clear signs of discomfort , he spells at Fangtasia it would appear were standing her well .

When Pam had once told him Sookie could in fact be quite the 'chatter box ' as she put it he had found the concept hard to believe , the girl rarely spoke that much around him and even then only when prompted , but it would seem that now that she had excepted him somewhat more that she was letting her natural loquacious tendencies spill out .

Normally human conversation bored him to tears , but in this case he found the exchange a pleasing experience , half perhaps because it was the biggest indication yet of her change in attitude towards him , and half because Sookie did genuinely have some interesting and somewhat novel input .

By the time they had stopped to rest and allow Sookie to eagerly rip into a Belgian waffle a vender had been selling , Eric was fully engrossed in the nights events and no longer saw it as simply a way to curry favour , Sookie had tortured him a little with the moaning and groaning she had issued as she devoured her treat , she later informed him they were ' yummy noise ' and a good thing but to Eric they sounded like something entirely different and he had to fight the urge to lean over and lick the girls plump lush looking lips that had a light covering of chocolate sauce .

Sookie had been most pleased with the snack and had told him it was one of the things she missed the most about having the ability to buy food straight from the shops , Gran's last standing order for groceries that had been continually delivered all these years had not included any sort of sweet treat and Sookie had been old enough to recall chocolate and cake as any young child did .

Eric made a note to ensure such treats were also added to the list of new foods Pam had informed him she was arranging for the telepath , it would be worth the trip to her home just to watch and listen to her eat it ...maybe one day she would let him eat it off her , consuming food had an unpleasant after effect on his kind but it would be a price worth paying in his book .

It had been getting close to midnight when Sookie had spotted something that caught her undivided attention in the window of one of the jewellery shops that had led her to her current excited state .

'' Look Eric , isn't it pretty ? , can we go inside to have a look ? '' Sookie beamed up at the vampire with such adorable wide eyed joy and excitement , that if she had just asked him for his testicles he would have had to think for a moment before refusing .

'' I don't see why not , it certainly looks an interesting piece '' Taking Sookie's hand Eric guided her into the shop with a tinkle from the small brass bell above the door .

Once inside they were quickly greeted by a short and portly salesman who eyed the somewhat miss matched pair of customers with a small dash of snobbish aloof , straightening his already straight mauve necktie his approached and asked Eric rather stiffly could he be of service .

He had aimed this question at Eric as he had already pegged Sookie as looking like she perhaps belonged in a Wal-Mart on sale section , she had not bothered to wear any of her new cloths tonight as she had not expected to be going out anyplace , her worn blue cardigan was atop one of her plan homemade summer dresses and the sight clearly did not meet with smartly dressed clerks approval , her silver sun glasses he thought looked odd likewise caused him to look down with disdain on the girl .

Eric could literally feel the excitement and good feeling drain from Sookie as he asked with gritted teeth to see the item in question .

'' We would like to have a closer look at the dragon fly pendant in the window , if you would be so kind '' His clenched jaw made the word 'kind ' come out as a slight hiss

As the attendant turned to retrieve the piece from behind the counter Eric brought his arm to rest on Sookie's shoulder and pulled her closer to him , she had begun to shy away towards the door , he was not the telepath of the two but he was willing to bet the thoughts she was picking up were in no way complementary

'' Here we are sir , the dragon fly '' The item was laid down on a black velvet cloth resting on the counter , Sookie glanced up at Eric for assurance before reaching down to pick it up , She loved it

The pendant was in the shape of a small golden dragon fly with Jasper wings , the thorax was highly polished ruby quartz with thin veins of black running through it , the whole effect was topped off with a glittering diamond head complete with antennae that sparkled playfully in the light , Sookie just knew Pam would like it , it reminded her of a style in a book she had seen once on art deco.

The telepath was broken out of her admiration as the clerk began to list the different stone types and qualities , he cleared his throat and aimed a condescending look at her

'' It is rather expensive my dear , the head is a twenty four carat diamond , perhaps you would like to see something a little less...''

Eric's clipped voice cut off the salesman '' I do not recall you being asked anything regarding cost , now box and wrap it up ''

The clerk blinked his beady eyes a few time before stammering a reply and scurrying off to fulfil the request

Eric looked down to watch Sookie shift from foot to foot as she rubbed her hand up and down her arm , she was clearly trying to make herself small . The vampire swallowed the growl that threatened to leave him , how dare the fat little shit look on her with anything other than envy and delight , he was strenuously trying to reign in his anger , if he let it spill out he would very well likely cause Sookie even more distress , but he could not let things go entirely .

'' Sookie why don't you have another look outside in the window , perhaps there is something else you might see that catches your eye , perhaps for another time? '' Eric pushed as much warmth as he could into his smile and kept his tome gentle and smooth .

Sookie stared back at him for a moment and Eric desperately wished he could see her eyes , he was sure they might contain clues as to how she was feeling , although her body langue was enough to scream insecure , Sookie nodded and turned quickly to the door before slipping out with another tinkle from the shops bell .

The salesman returned shortly after with a sliver gift bag containing their purchase and a smarmy smile on his face , Eric removed a bill fold from his pocket and countered out a few crisp hundred dollar notes , he casually tossed the money onto the counter and snatched the bag from the man's grasp , leaning in Eric's tall frame cleared the counter and allowed him to loom over the much shorter man , without any warning he released his fangs with a small 'snikt ' sound and growled low and deep .

'' If my companion was not waiting for me ten feet away I would show you the error of passing judgment on you betters' you little piss , if she should ever grace your pathetic little shop with her presence again you would do well to treat her as Venus in form and grovel at her feet , the feet you are not fit to kiss you arrogant simpleton ''

Eric walked slowly backwards never once taking his burning coal like eyes from the quivering half man , glistening cold sweat peppered his brow now as he stared back into those fiery orbs , as the vampire finally turned to open the door he was both pleased and disgusted to detect the smell of urine permeate the shop , Eric smirked '' Clean up on isle twelve '' he spoke softly to himself .

Sookie glanced dejectedly at the shop window , she was trying to let the unpleasant reminder of how things could be in the outside world brush over her , if she put things in perspective , what did it matter what that horrible man thought about her , it was difficult however to completely shrug it off , she had been having such a nice time up till now .

She became aware Eric had come to stand next to her but she couldn't bring herself to look up at him for some reason , some part of her was worried that he may be annoyed at her for her odd behaviour in the shop or maybe for showing him up in front of the clerk

Sookie almost flinched as she felt a cold hand lightly grip her chin and force her to turn and look up to meet the Vampire gaze

'' It's not worth a moment of your worry little one , please don't frown like that , it looks so wrong on your face '' He emphasized the point by gingerly rubbing his thumb over her brow as if to smooth out the small wrinkles on her brow , Sookie couldn't help but smile and stifle a laugh at his attempt to rearrange her face to suit him .

Eric smiled in return and then smirked in triumph '' There now , that's much better . I think it's time to get you home , you must be tired ''

As if on command the telepath felt the beginnings of a yawn rise up in her , her snug bed did all of a sudden sound like a very welcome prospect

After a peaceful drive back to the Stackhouse farm completed in a comfortable silence Sookie shuffled up her front porch steps , before turning to face her fellow shopper for the evening , wordlessly Eric handed her the silver gift bag and stepped back .

Sookie fidgeted slightly before speaking softly ''mmmm...thanks for all your help Eric , il be sure to tell Pam you helped me out with the present , and I promise il pay you back as soon as I can ''

Eric bowed his head slightly before looking back with a small smile gracing his lips '' I was happy to be of service , I'm sure Pam will enjoy the gift very much , you are scheduled to train tomorrow yes?''

Sookie sleepily nodded '' Yep , I'm kind of looking forward to it now , it's getting easier to deal with the thoughts...although I still think a lot of them are a bit yucky ''

The vampire sheriff chuckled at her endearing term for the no doubt vile fantasies of his clientele , but no more vile than his own he suspected as an after thought .

Slightly distracted as he was by his mirth , he did not detect Sookie stepping into his personnel space until her arm had made its journey half way up his long body , he froze as she gently cupped the back of his head before meekly pulling down as she raised herself up on her tip toes , the much larger Vampire still had to stoop low to bring their faces level .

Eric stifled a groan as his senses were assaulted by the smell of her hair and feel of her body so agonisingly close to his , his desire almost reached fever pitch when he felt her velvet soft lips place a humming birds kiss on his cold cheek , warmth seemed to flood his face and for the first time in a thousand years he wondered if it was possible for a vampire to blush .

All to soon Sookie stepped back and offered another little smile before bidding a final good night

If the young girl had not pulled the flower patterned yellow door window curtains closed after her , she would have seen Eric remained rooted to the spot for a few moments after the departure , the vampire absently rubbed his cheek and stared with glazed eyes into the dark .

The lights flickering off one by one inside the house broke Eric out of his semi trance , he turned back to his faithfully waiting Corvette and slinked inside

Taking another moment to gather his thoughts he spared one last look back at Sookie's house before starting the engine and slowly pulling away .

Once a few miles down the road Eric began to run the course of tonight's events over in his head , his boredom at Fangtasia , his curiosity then excitement at receiving Sookie's call , the unfamiliar simple enjoyment of their shopping trip , his fierce feelings of protectiveness as that little weasel of a man's attitude toward Sookie had upset her ...upset his Sookie ...his Sookie .

The Kiss...where had that come from

Eric could still feel the ghost of her lips on his face , the warmth , the smell ...so warm

Why did it feel so warm , why was he feeling so odd ? , Sookie had kissed him , he should have pressed his advantage there and then , turned his face at the last second and mashed his lips into hers , used his tongue to demand entry , he should have swept her off her feet carried her inside and claimed what was his again and again , it was passed time she realised she belonged to him now ,she should begin to learn how to please him...but he had just stood there ? .

Eric pressed down on the accelerator even harder , the sound of metal meeting metal seemed to help banish the strange feeling , he needed to snap out of this , whatever the fuck had just happened he needed to suck it up , he was not weak , he was not...whatever it was that he had just experienced , he needed to feed , the hunger at having such a delicious looking meal so close to hand all night had obviously had a momentary effect on him he thought , he needed sex and he needed blood and he needed both now ...but first he had one more stop to make

**( Midnight Desires , Las Vegas )**

Victor tapped his finger in a slow steady rhythm against the side of his phone , he listened to the slow drone of the ringing sound on the other end of the line , after a few minutes he snapped the phone shut with a hiss .

Longshadow had been ducking him now for close to a week , he was not pleased by this clear sign of disrespect and disobedience . He toyed with the notion of calling the Northman and taunting him with the information regarding his subordinates betrayal , it would make for interesting sport to rile the arrogant bastard up by chastising him for having Vampire such as Long shadow pulling one over on him , even more so that the thief had been an agent of his right under his nose this whole time .

But the fun would be short lived , it would make the sheriff look bad certainly , maybe even knock him down a peg in the Kings eyes but those rewards palled in comparison to the loss of such a deep rooted agent , even if that agent had decide to pull a fucking Claude Rains on him ...no , he would not act brashly , he needed things to remain as they were for the moment , he also very much wanted to know what was going on with this mystery Blood bag and could he make any use of it , what was the Viking up to ?

A knock at the door signalled the arrival of his dinner for the night , pressing a hidden buzzer under his desk , the office door swung open to reveal a dark suited vampire pulling a slender girl by the arm

Rising from his chair Victor walked round his desk to stand before his visitors , he took a moment to assess his entertainment , Brown doe eyes watched him look her up and down , he noticed she looked a little uncomfortable in the sequin silver dress she had been poured into , but it showed off her curves nice enough , small freckles dotted her checks and nose giving her a young looking feel , he could no longer tell humans ages however , for him they were ether babes in the wood or hags for the pyre .

The girl flinched as he raised his hand to slip a few stray strand of coal black hair behind her ear , he smirked at the reaction...skittish...good he liked that .

'' What's your name piggy '' his words hissed slightly as they travelled around golden fangs that forever extended , he didn't care what the sow's name was , it was just amusing to ask sometimes

'' Rachel '' The girls voice was pinched and juddery , the first realisations of a cornered animal

'' Rachel '' Victor repeated back slowly as he continued to walk around her smelling lightly here and there .

'' Rachel head into the next room and sit down on the bed , I will be there in a moment '' Raising his arm the Vampire indicated a pair of double doors on the far end of the office

Rachel shakily turned to the black suited vampire and gave him an imploring look through tear rimmed eyes '' Please...could I maybe go back downstairs , ...I think... I've changed my mind...I think maybe my friend will be looking for me '' .

The girl was met with a blank stare from the stoic vampire as she felt a cold hand grip her arm from behind , she turned unwilling to meet the cold eyes of Victor ''

I said Go. Next . Door. Piggy

Each word was accompanied by an uncomfortably hard squeeze of her arm , letting her head loll forward Rachel began to shuffle slowly towards the doors as instructed

Victor waited until she passed into the adjacent room before turning back to the guard '' Did she have a friend downstairs '' he asked half heartedly

'' Yes but she has already left , it shouldn't be a problem . do you require me to collect her later ? '' The second vampire inquired impassively

Victor answered without turning as he walked towards the double doors , slipping off his neck tie as he went '' No...just send the cleanup crew '' He closed the doors behind him without further comment .

**(Shreveport Animal Rescue Centre )**

Susan Cole moaned as she let her head slump forward on to one of the stack of papers on her desk , she had never minded the late shift for the hours , but the paper work was never going to be one of her favourite things about the job , when she took the position she had envisioned cuddling puppies and bandaging cute hamsters , the reality was all together different .

Suddenly a pile of the papers was caught by what seemed like a freak wind that had her scrambling to pin the errant pieces back down onto the front desk , when they settled she became aware she was no longer alone . Slowly raising her head she was faced with one of the tallest men she had seen in a long time , even as she stood up from the desk he still seemed to tower above her , his long blond hair fell in neatly combed locks onto his shoulders , they framed what she could only think was one of the most handsome faces she had ever seen , he looked beautifully ethereal and a little threatening all at the same time , she swallowed a small lump in her throat .

'' Can ...I help you sir ? '' her voice cracked a little out of nerves

The stranger nodded slightly and turned his head from side to side taking in the front desk and foyer

'' You sell animals here yes ? '' The young veterinary nurse detected a trace of accent in his strong voice

''Well...were an animal rescue centre and vets , we do arrange adoption for unwanted animals if that's what you mean '' She subconsciously began to straighten her hair and attempted to unrummple her uniform .

'' Excellent , I require an animal , I smell you keep them through here '' Without preamble the stranger walked around the front desk and disappeared into the back kennels , he moved at such a pace it took a moment for the nurse to register what had happened before she scurried after him , hot guy or not she didn't want to get fired for letting some random person wander round the staff only section .

'' Sir , please wait your not allowed to be back here '' The stranger ignored her protests as he slowly made his way up the corridor of kennels and cages peering in at each occupant in tern .

'' Sir please , if you want to adopt an animal I can help you fill out the paper work but you're not allowed back here '' Ignoring her protests he turned and fixed her with a look that did strange things to the lower half of her body .

'' I require the most vicious animal you have , it needs to be without merit in regards to companionship or cordial nature '' Turning once again to continue he appraisal of the cages , he stopped momentarily to look at a litter of kittens who tumbled forward to greet him , mewling and squeaking in hello

Shaking his head the stranger mumbled something that sounded like '' Totally unsuitable '' to the veterinary nurse , said nurse had now realised this man was obviously going to do whatever the hell he wanted and there was not a hell of a lot someone her size was going to be able to do about it , in fact a team of line backers may not be able to do anything about it as her eyes wandered to the man's butt , changing tack she started to ask a little more about his strange requirements .

'' We don't really keep dangerous animals here sir , all these are waiting to be rehomed , I'm not sure if we have anything that meets your...requirements ''

The man frowned and crossed his arms across his broad chest '' How disappointing '' his eyes travelled further up the corridor to the veterinary bay before stopping on the far end door '' What's through there ? '' Before any answer could be given he disappeared up the room in long strides and opened the door , the nurse was yet again forced to chase after him .

She found him standing in a far corner of the surgery room staring intently down at a brown animal carry cage that had been brought in earlier today , she knew very well what was in there but was unsure if she should even think about allowing him to take it ...although thinking about it , that animal did meet with his stated needs ...strange as they were .

Lifting the box up by the handle the man effortlessly held it aloft with one arm and peered passed the bars at the occupant

One piercing green eye glared back at him , its second eye was missing , a blackened squinted socket the only evidence left that the animal had ever had two, the slender black slit iris seemed to drip malice and hate , the creature was a tufted ball of ginger fur with black streaks crises crossing its mangy form , one sharp looking pointed tooth hung over its curled lower lip causing drool to hang in dirty tendril from either side of its mouth .

Without any warning it flung its small form against the bars hissing and spitting wailing and screeching cat curses , paws were thrust forward to display razor sharp claws that flailed about , desperate to gain purchase in flesh and start to rend and rip

The display actually made the stranger hold the cage back away from him slightly , he turned to face the nervously waiting nurse with a pleased grin on his face ''This is the needful animal , I shall take it''

Open mouthed the nurse stared at him for a moment before starting to stammer protests '' Sir that animal is here to be humanely destroyed , it was brought in by animal control ! , its feral ...you know wild ? , there is no way you can do anything with that Cat , it's wounded two of the nurses here already ! '' .

Wedging one hand into his pocket the stranger extracted a bill fold and slipped out a hundred dollar note single handed , before stepping forward to slip it into the top pocket of her white lab coat '' It suits my needs perfectly , I trust that should cover the cost of the animal and cage ''

With that he whisked past the stunned attendant and make his back into the main foyer , with the nurse once more in hot pursuit .

'' Sir please , we have much nicer animals , kittens , small dogs , anything would be better than tha..''

All protest ceased when he turned and flashed what she considered to be a panty dropping smile and bowed his head slightly '' You have been most helpful , I shall consider you in future for all my livestock needs ''

Susan Cole found herself returning a goofy lop sided smile at the display and suppressed a blush

''Th..thank you for choosing Shreve Port Animal rescue ...please come again...anytime ''

She was still in the grips of a hot flush when the stranger disappeared out the door and into the night .


	35. Chapter 35

Pam slipped quietly into the front door of her and Eric's unassuming suburban nest , the unremarkable neighbourhood was an ideal cover for a vampires nest , hiding in plain site had always been one of Eric's preferred tactics , some vampires gave in to hubris and extravagance in their living set up and chose to have elegant manors or ostentatious mansions for their homes , especially since the great reveal .

But those kinds of property reeked of money and power , they offered very little in the way of camouflage . The house Eric and Pam shared was at first glance a simple two floor large and comfortable family home , it was surrounded with high shrubs and bushes to offer privacy from the surrounding properties , but other than a few well placed CCTV cameras that were not uncommon on such cul de sacs , the casual observer would never suspect that under the house were another two floors of subterranean living accommodation .

Setting the internal alarm panel , Pam punched in the thirteen digit code on the reinforced door under the stairs and whisked happily down the steps .

Tonight had been an excellent chance to unwind for Pam who had spent the majority of it in the arms of one of her regular sexual partners , Krissy was a personnel trainer the vampire had met while shopping and there was a lot to be said about having sex with a Yoga instructor Pam thought .

Much more talented and refreshing than any fangbanger , Krissy insisted that Pam got hers as well as her own , a welcome change from the selfish demands that were normally placed on Vampires by their human lovers , a dildo with fangs was often the impression one got from them , no care as to their own needs , and a vegan diet while often leaving blood lacking in flavour did ensure a clean crisp taste to Krissy's blood .

Added to that a little retail hunting and Pam was quite the happy camper

Tossing her shopping bags on her bed Pam sniffed the air and smiled to herself , it smelled like Eric had been doing a little entertaining of his own , poking her head round the door to Eric's day chambers she confirmed the tell tale musky scent of sex and if she wasn't mistaken more than one partner , Eric must have been a hungry boy tonight she mused .

Removing her top as she went Pam sauntered into Eric's office to check in with her maker before going to her rest

She found him sat pensively behind his desk staring at the flickering computer screen of his PC , he made no signs he was aware she had come in but of course Pam knew better .

Shimmying out of her skirt she stood unashamedly in her matching bra and panties before her maker , modesty was about a hundred and fifty years dead between the pair .

Eric finally looked up from his work to offer an appreciative smile at his progeny , she was still as beautiful to him as the day he made her , it still made him proud to look upon her

'' Good evening Pam , how was your night off ? ''

'' Very good master , Krissy was as committed as ever to the nights activities , I can smell you also had a pleasant diversion...and more than one if my nose is not mistaken , you haven't done that in a while ''

Eric leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes for a moment '' Yes well I was feeling like treating myself , it's been a hard night ''

Pam sidled into one of the larger chairs before his desk and tucked her legs under herself

'' Was there a problem ? , you should have called me if you needed help '' Eric smiled at her concern and genuine words .

'' No , it was not hard in the sense of needing assistance , in fact I left the club fairly early tonight ...I spent a lot of the night with Sookie ''.

The elder vampire took note of the shift in Pam's body language at the mention of the girl

'' What happened , is everything all right with her ? ''

Eric stared at his child for a minute before answering '' Why do you care ? ''

Pam was caught off guard by the question and untucked her legs from under her '' Master ...what .''

Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his desk Eric coked his head '' It's a simple question Pam but I can see the effect it has on you and that's my point ...why should you care ...why should I care for that matter , she's a blood bag after all , albeit a Telepathic and possibly other things as well blood bag , but a blood bag none the less , a feed and fuck ''

'' Why are you calling her that '' Pam's tone was snippy and her voice struggling to restrain her annoyance , she did not know where this was coming from , or what had happened between her maker and Sookie tonight , but she didn't like hearing anyone talk about her little angel like this ...even Eric .

Eric looked long and hard at his child , he wasn't annoyed by her rebellious attitude although he should be , if anything it just cemented certain ideas in his own head .

'' You don't like it when I speak about her like that do you ? ...you care about her ''

Pam frowned and fidgeted in her chair , fidgeting was not something a vampire did and it spoke volumes .

''She...she saved my life ..twice...and maybe yours as well , she is different from the rest...not the same , I don't know why I do but...yes I do care about her ...is that wrong ? '' In that instant Pam sounded so young to Eric , like the fledgling she had been when first she clawed her way out of the dirt to kneel at his feet , it was a strange feeling to see such indecision and confusion on her lovely face so normally shrouded and dripping with confidence and guile .

'' I don't know if it's wrong ...but it's not...normal I don't think , you have never taken a friend among the humans before , a lover maybe for a time , but never very long and even then those sometimes met there end at your hands , I'm not judging you my child it just occurred to me tonight that the girl seems to invoke...something ...but I'm not sure what it is , and it seems I myself am not immune .

Pam was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable , had Sookie angered her master somehow? , what had she done to set Eric's mind to working like this .

'' Did something happen tonight master ? , did Sookie displease you ...I'm sure she meant no offense at whatever she...''

Eric cut off her worrying words '' Sookie has done nothing wrong , the time I spent with her was pleasant and relaxing as a matter of fact , she seems to be more excepting of me now , my past transgressions are being left behind ...make no mention of this discussion to Sookie , I do not want for her to draw the same conclusion as you , and think I am displeased with her , I do not want her behaviour around me to change ''.

Pam nodded slowly and rose from her chair '' As you wish master ...sleep well ''

Eric expected her to say something else , but Pam simply turned and left the office in silence , he had not meant to upset Pam , he was just giving voice to niggling ideas at the back of his mind , maybe he was just frustrated that even after all this time he was no closer to having any real idea what Sookie actually was , she had to be more than just a human with a quirk , she had some spark that surrounded her , penetrated her, it was like a subtle glow that seemed to catch you off guard .

Did her eyes offer some clue ? , her blood maybe .

It was obviously not insidious or deliberate , Sookie was blissfully unaware of the effect she was having on Pam...and on him . If for one moment he thought anything else , then considering her other abilities he would fly from this nest right now to her home and snap her neck as she slept .

And that would be that .

He would have to stay aware , he was still a vampire , a vampire sheriff with responsibilities and they had to come first , his child and him had to come first... at the cost of all others .


	36. Chapter 36

It was a cool sunny day in Bon temps , a light breeze shifted lazily through the tree's surrounding the Stackhouse family homestead , birds chirped happily in there woodland perches , bees bumbled from flower to flower in their never ending dance , nearly all was still and quite with nary a thing to intrude on the still of the day...all except Atticus Herveaux

Creeping from tree to tree the young were had steadily worked his way closer to his goal with no small amount of stealth , the scene surrounding him did not nearly seem to justify such caution but Atticus new better , and it was all ways better to ire on the side of caution , although caution was in effect exactly what he was throwing into the wind with the little mission he was on .

He knew it was a bad idea to get involved in anything that had to do with Vampires , but he just had not been able to get the events of a few days ago out of his head , he had just not been able to get Sookie out of his head .

He had reasoned and argued and remonstrated with himself , but all to no avail , he just had to see her again . Alcide had thrown up a stone wall when Atticus had causally tried to get further details regarding the job they had done on the drive way , all his elder seemed to care about was if a good job had been done and that was that , when he had become suspicious of the young were's questions regarding the house, Atticus had been forced to lie through his teeth when asked if he had been anywhere near the property , Alcide had believed him but Atticus took no satisfaction from lying to his pack master and had felt suitably guilty about it later ...but not guilty enough to sway him from his current course .

At first he thought it was just that Sookie was hot as hell and he needed to reign his hormones in, but after a while he realised his was also worried for the girl , how in god's name had the person he had met , come to have anything to do with Vampires ? . There was just no way she was a fangbanger or a pet , she just couldn't be , he had encountered the followers of the undead on a number of occasions , and they all fell into two categories , soulless hangers on with dead eyes and vacant expressions , or slutty spandex/ leather clad sluts with no self respect , man or woman alike they were all like that , all looking for an encounter with death , some ended up getting a close encounter and that was the end of that .

Sookie just couldn't be pigeon holed into ether of those , no matter how hard he tried she was a round peg that just was not going into that square hole . The girl seemed to have a brain , she also seemed to be possessed of a caring soul and crushing shyness that kind of reminded him of his days in grade school , so it begged the question how had Sookie come to be living in what could possibly be a vampire nest ? .

Was she being held prisoner ? , she had said the house was her's but he had seen vamps glamour people into an inch of their sanity , fangers could get most folks to say just about anything . The final straw had been on his last day off when he was wandering around the Golden falls mall , and seemingly by shear fate or serendipity looked into the window of a Barnes and Noble ...and there it was , a massive display in giant four foot writing '' Reconnect to the classics '' centre stage was a thick leather bound copy of ...'' To kill a mocking bird '' .

He had never placed much stock in signs' and fate but then and there he had made up his mind , he walked straight in and a few minutes later walked out with a book in a plastic bag and a plan in his head .

Said plan was now in the process of being executed , he couldn't just walk up to the front door of a suspected vamp nest and nock , that would be tantamount to suicide if they caught his scent come night fall , but moving through the back woods like this may help to dissipate some of his tell tale smell , when he got closer to the house ...well he hadn't really got a plan much further than that but it would have to do for now .

However if in some final cosmic confirmation of strange random chance and god sent destiny , Atticus's ears detected a sound coming from an open clearing just inside the tree line , it was a low whim sickle happy humming , the tune wasn't familiar to him but it sounded like a Childs lullaby , his nose then detected what he could only describe as a beautifully feminine and fresh scent , lastly after poking his head round the underbrush his eyes completed the confirmation of target .

Sookie was sat cross legged in the long grass basket in hand , she was picking wild flowers one at a time from her sitting position , and bringing them to her face to give a sampling small sniff before dropping them into the red and white cloth lined wicker holder , she already had a fair bunch of colours and types collected in neat bunches , the display was pleasing to the eye , but for Atticus what was far more pleasing was the sight of Sookie in her knee length off white shoulder strap Summer dress ,She was barefoot and he smooth looking slender legs were tucked underneath her , he thought she looked like a model for a new country and summer range of shampoo but even better as this wasn't a look or an act ...this was just her .

Her hair was raised in a high golden pony tail that bounced and lolled with her head as she gleefully inspected each new flower , Atticus felt a brief spike of discomfort at the thought that such an innocent display should be making him so aroused but there was no denying it was doing something for him , some parts more than others .

Closing his eyes for a few seconds he counted to ten to reign in his loins and begin to formulate some sort of greeting that didn't come across like a crazed stalker , when the melodic humming abruptly stopped , he opened them again to see those all to familiar black sun glasses looking straight at him , he froze like a dear in headlights .

As he was wondering how and indeed if she had actually known he was there, all doubt was put paid to when her small southern laden voice rang out '' mmmmm..Hello , is there somebody there?''

Her voice didn't sound frantic , but there were definitely tinges of Panic there , she had rose to her feet and begun backing away from her basket ,hands clutched together and twisted in front of her , Atticus felt another sharp spike of guilt that he was now scaring her .

Before anymore damage could be done he sucked in a breath and exhaled before breaking cover very slowly and walking into the clearing to join her , he was hugely grateful and encouraged that this time there was no screaming and no running .

'' Atticus ?...is that you '' Sookie's face still bore a little shock but the fear had been toned down

'' Errr yeah it's me , I was just passing and thought id drop by...and stuff '' Atticus felt like kicking himself for saying something so unbelievably stupid '' Just passing ? '' .

Sookie cocked her head to the side a little and frowned '' You...were just passing in the woods ? ...passing what ? ''

Raising his hand Atticus ran his fingers through his hair and coughed '' Ok...ok you got me I wasn't just passing anything , I came to see you ...and stuff ''

Sookie's face broke out into a smile that just about melted the young were from his core out

'' You came to see me ...I don't really get visitors that often , why did you come all the way out here to see me '' .

Atticus coughed again and put his hand behind him to fish out the package wedged into the back of his trousers

'' Well when we were talking and stuff you kind of mentioned that you liked this an all and I wanted to say thanks for not telling on me about our little err...mishap so I picked this up , and it's not much or anything but ..'' Atticus was broke out of his ramble by Sookie bounding over closer to him

'' You got me a book ! '' Stunned the young were stared open mouthed for a second before looking down at the still wrapped copy of Harper Lee's work .

Sookie quickly attempted to cover her Telepathic slip and repeated slower and with a slight questioning inflection '' You got me a book ? ''

'' Errr...yeah , I did '' Holding the present out for Sookie to take she hesitated for a second before excepting the packaged and eagerly unwrapping it to reveal the books front cover .

Sookie ran her fingers over the gold embossed lettering and brown leather ,opening it she saw on the inside front cover there was a neat little message in a flowing hand

_**To Sookie with Thanks ' Atticus **_

looking back up at Atticus she smiled even wider than before as she clutched the book to her chest and sniffled a little

'' Thank you '' Her voice was high pitched and strained and she fought back tears

'' Wow wow , why is there crying , there shouldn't be crying '' Atticus looked alarmed as he stepped forward to rub his hand awkwardly but still gently on the girls arm

'' I'm not crying '' Sookie insisted even as she wiped a stray tear off her cheek '' It's just you didn't have to or anything , but I really love this book and I haven't read it in years and ...well I don't know I'm just really grateful and...''

'' Your welcome '' Atticus interrupted to save Sookie from her loss for words , he couldn't help but smile at the display , tears from a woman were normal kryptonite to him but as long as these seemed to be happy tears then he guessed it was ok .

'' Do you want to sit down with me for a bit ? '' Sookie gestured to her previous small patch of ground and basket

Grinning Atticus nodded and followed her to sit in the grass

Once settled the young were stole little glances at the girl as she continued to inspect the book she had just received , becoming aware the silence was stretching a little he attempted to make conversation

'' Soooo...what are you up to out here ? ''

Sookie gently laid her new prize down and picked up her basket for Atticus to inspect

'' I make oils and lotions out of them , my gran showed me how , Pam buys me ones from the shops now but I still like these better , plus I like sitting out here , its peaceful and I get to lay in the sun ''

Atticus gulped as his eyes wandered down Sookies golden brown bare arms and onto the swell of her breasts .

'' It looks good on you ...the sun I mean ,... the sun looks good on you ..'' His voice wandered off before he could get himself into any more trouble ,or say anything else stupid , he hadn't been this nervous since the school disco when he was thirteen .

Sookie smiled happily '' It looks good on everyone ...it looks good on you to '' She wasn't exactly sure what that meant ,but he had said something nice about her so she thought it best to reciprocate , she was a little nervous about her guest but not in a bad way , his thoughts were so hard to read it wasn't even that much work on her shields even when he touched her , there was a grey mist moving through his mind that was just making it hard to make anything clear out , but what she could get all seemed to be friendly or good natured ...and that he liked her legs , she still couldn't believe he came all the way here just to bring her a book she said she liked it was so sweet , before she could start crying again she tried to change the subject .

'' Thanks for the work you did on my drive it looks great , I think Eric and Pam's cars would thank you as well , Pam said she might have had to buy a tank if it hadn't been fixed , but I think she was just kidding I don't think it was that bad...but I wouldn't really know , I can't drive ''.

Cocking an eye brow the were answered a little surprised '' You can't drive ? , I don't think I've met anyone who lives this far out who couldn't , isn't it a pain when you need to go someplace ? ''

The smile vanished from Sookie's lips as she dropped her head to stare at her hands as she twisted them together ''mmmm...I don't go out much ...but I get lifts sometimes from Pam..and sometimes Eric ''

Sensing he had somehow touched a nerve Atticus wanted to get off the topic , he wasn't sure what he had said that was wrong , but something in him just didn't want to upset her , he wanted the smile back .

'' So tell me...how do you make oils from flowers ? ''

The question had the desired effect and Sookie's head shot up with a smile slowly spreading soon after , scooting closer she began to impart the knowledge her Gran had given her not far from that very spot , overhead the sun slowly passed as the day and then afternoon drew on , its journey was ignored by the relaxed couple , they were far to engrossed in their tranquil and cheerful exchange to notice .


	37. Chapter 37

**Hello all **

**First let me apologise for the break in the updates as of late , I have no real excuse other than life always seems to get in the way of more interesting endeavours , I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and feedback , I hope I haven't lost to many readers **

**Just a few quick notes then il give a brief playback of events so far .**

**I'm sorry if Eric in my story is coming across as a little rough , or as one review said a bit of an ''arse hole! '' , it's just I never really bought into the portrayal of Eric as someone who would be particularly happy about possibly having long suppressed emotions suddenly pop up , in the Great Mrs Harris work I think the lead up to his and Sookie's eventual relationship was an important and lengthy road for the Viking and as Eric once said himself in one of the books '' I don't like having these feelings , it's a bad habit '' **

**Eric having sex with someone in his nest also seemed to some as strange but I always liked the Glamour get out clause , I just can't see Eric or Pam having to have sex in the back of their cars or Eric's office all the time , especially if your car is a two sweater Corvette and your over six foot tall , a change of sheets a bit of glamour and its consequence free Rumpy pumpy ! **

**As for the story pace ? , well slowly , slowly catches the monkey…or the Telepath .**

**The Story so far **

**Eric is slowly making progress with ingratiating himself with Sookie and trying to shrug off his old label of scary vampire in hopes of securing Sookie as his **

**The count down to the big Halloween bash is soon on for Fangtasia **

**Eric has begun to suspect something about Sookie and the way she is wedeling her way into Pam's and even if he can't see it , his affections . He has also hatched a plan to test out Sookie's strange affinity for wildlife **

**Atticus the young were has popped by to see Sookie and his company is not unwelcome **

**Longshadow has dropped off the map and Victor is getting impatient to get news of the strange girl that has Eric setting up secret meetings , what will his next move be ? **

Sookie sang merrily off key as she scrubbed herself clean and vanilla scented in the shower, the cascading hot water steaming up her antiquated bathroom leaving her in a misty shroud

Turning the old copper shower handle she shut off the spray and stepped out to dry herself in front of the mirror, she smiled at the golden glow her skin had tonight, all the time she had spent with Atticus in the open sun today had paid off .

Plus it had been fun to chat with the young boy about nothing in particular , she was a little sad when the sun had begun to dip and she had to tell him she needed to get ready to be picked up

Atticus hadn't needed to say anything regarding keeping his visit to herself , she didn't like the idea of keeping secrets from Pam but at the same time she didn't want to get Atticus in trouble just for being nice to her , she still couldn't believe he had got her such a lovely present.

She had given the boy an open invitation to come back and see her sometime if he wanted, she spent most of her day in the woods anyway and she had told him as such, he had said he would be able to find her if that was the case, Sookie had wanted to ask what he meant by that but thought best not to pry or come off sounding foolish .

Eventually Sookie reasoned that it was alright to have other friends surely ? , and it wasn't as if she had that many , besides it was great to be able to talk with someone when the sun was up , she hadn't been able to do that till now ...and she liked Atticus

And he seemed to like her

Combing her hair back she slid a Alice band in to keep it in place and slipped her glasses on before exiting the bathroom to pick out something to wear tonight .

The outfit she went for was a simple pair of skinny jeans that still felt a little strange to her , Pam had made her pick up a couple of pairs just to try , she had always worn skirts or dresses for most of her life . Trousers were just too hard to make yourself and Sookie had always liked the feel of the air on her legs. But Eric had paid for these so she thought she may as well try them at least once, with the jeans she went for a baby blue cashmere top with a sweet heart neckline that left what Sookie thought of as a little to much of her boobs or ''puppies '' as Pam called them on show but it was a warm night so maybe it would be nice to let a little air at them...maybe .

And of course she was wearing one of her accursed brassieres ; Pam would make her go get one if she tried to slip past her .

A pair of ballet flats Sookie felt would be best with the outfit so she selected a pair of plain black one's with a little cute bow on each heel

A quick last glance in the mirror to fiddle with a few stray hairs done Sookie skipped downstairs just in time to hear the honk of Pam's horn signalling it was time to go , grabbing her purse Sookie stuffed a few bits inside and remembered to include Pam's pendant , she wanted to wait till they got to the club before she gave it to her so she would have time to have a proper look at it , the telepath was giddy with excitement at the thought and desperately hoped Pam would like it as much as she did .

Darting outside Sookie turned quickly to secure the door before resuming her fast pace to jump into the waiting car

'' Hey Pam '' Sookie chirped as she secured her seat belt

'' Someone's in a good mood tonight '' Pam glanced over with a smile as she manoeuvred the turn round and head back up Sookie's drive

'' Well I spent the day outside and got some sun , that always makes me feel good , and there's something else as well but it's a surprise for latter ''

Pam frowned '' I'm not that big on surprises Sookie, is it going to hurt, will I like it?''

'' Oh pooh Pam surprises are fun and yes I hope you like it ''

The pair fell into silence for a time as Sookie watched the night fly by her in the comfortable confides of Pam's car, the night was a little muggy but the air felt still even as they zipped through it. Pam eventually interrupted the quiet interlude

'' I like the jeans by the way they look nice on you, I'm glad you were willing to give them a try at least once...so I hear you and Eric spent some time together last night...how was that ''

Sookie stopped fiddling with the radio's nobs and dials to look at her friend

'' It was ok, he was helping me with something but I can't tell you what just yet as its part of the surprise, but yeah it was nice, we went out for a little bit and my shields held up really well, I got to see some cool new stuff ...there was this one jerk ...but everything else was nice, Eric's kind of sweet when he's not being scary or strangling you ''

Pam guffawed and almost swerved the car '' SWEET! '' She cackled

'' Sookie I'm not sure anyone has called Eric that before ...but I'm going to enjoy telling him latter on''

'' Oh no Pam please don't make fun of him , I prefer sweet Eric to shouting or trying to kill me Eric , and he did help me with this thing I needed ''

Pam grinned and used one hand to mime zipping her lips shut even as she continued to chuckle to herself...Sweet Eric

**(Fangtaisa )**

A few hours later Sookie and Pam were contentedly seated in Eric private booth as Pam showed the young girl the different banner design's she was thinking of going with for the now imminent Halloween Fangtaisa Halloween bash

They had both decided the Magenta lettering on a black background would make the words 'Pop' and grab attention. It wasn't as if they actually needed to advertise the event, advanced bookings for private booths were already maxed out and with the prearranged donors plus most of the vampires of area five required to attend they were going to be at maximum capacity .

That detail gave Pam pause for a moment, she had discussed this event with Sookie a number of times over the last few days but it had actually slipped her mind that this would perhaps be the first time Sookie would have to face a full house, the girl seemed to have come on in leaps and bounds since the early days but still .

'' Sookie do you think you will be alright with the amount of people who are going to be in attendance at this thing, I should have asked before ''

Sookie caught Pam off guard when she broke out into a huge grin and actually clapped her hands a few times '' so that means I'm coming as well! ''

Pam blinked at her for a moment with a blank face , before speaking slowly '' Sookie do you mean to tell me we've been talking about this on and off for about a week now and you thought you weren't invited ? ''

Sookie fidgeted looking down and rubbed her hands on the table with a small coy smile '' Well Gran always said it's best not to assume anything ''

Before Pam could respond to this Eric appeared and slid into the booth to take a seat next to Sookie

'' How could we have a Halloween party without our Telepath that just wouldn't be right ? ''

Sookie offered a genuine smile in a way of greeting to the vampire sheriff , Pam took notice of this with some confusion at Sookie's slowly changing attitude in regard to Eric , that could only be seen a good thing she thought . But was at odds with the slightly unsettling conversation she had with her maker last night; however Eric had not offered any other insights into what may have been going on in his head to her and she knew better than to ask. She was well aware Eric would speak to her about it if he so desired but not before then , in the mean time she just had to hope things worked out for the best .

The rest of the night was spent indulging in idle conversation between the unlikely group regarding final details for the party and once more getting assurances from Sookie that she would in fact be alright with the increased number of customers who would be in attendance. The young Telepaths enthusiasm for participating in the celebration seemed to be winning out over any lingering fears she may have had, Pam for her part was secretly overjoyed that Sookie was openly showing her desire to be involved, it was a far cry from the early days of constant coaxing and arm twisting to get her to pop her head out of her shell, little by little Pam felt she was starting to get a glimpse of what she hoped Sookie would one day become. The vampire couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of her herself for her so far accomplishments …..maybe she would indeed as Eric had sometimes said make a good maker…someday.

Pam was interrupted from her silent musing by the feel of Sookie shuffling closer to her in the booth , looking up she noticed the excited look on the young girls face as she carefully slid a small neatly wrapped parcel over to rest on the table in front of her .

Sookie retreated a little in the booth and clasped her hands together in her lap

Pam raised an eye brow in question '' Sookie, what is this? ''

The telepath bounced a little in her seat and grinned wildly '' it's your surprise; you can open it now if you like ''

Pam paused before leaning forward to pick up the package , the thin purple tissue paper rustled in her hand as she used one elegantly manicured nail to effortlessly cut through the sellotape that bound the paper together

Upon removing its outer layer she laid the velvet cloth it had contained back onto the table and gently unfolded it to reveal a pendant that sparkled in the clubs overhead lighting

Picking it up by the thin gold chain Pam raised it further into the light to inspect it , the dragonfly spun slowly suspended in the air allowing Pam to take in the various semi-precious cut stones of varying colours and glittering diamond head , her practiced eye quickly assessed its great quality and carrot

'' Sookie…its beautiful..but why ? ''

Sookie smiled sweetly again before looking down to fidget with her hands '' It's a present …you know for everything you've done for me , I wanted to get you something , so Eric helped me pick that out for you …mmmmmmm do you like it ? '' the girl's face pinched in anticipation of Pam response

Pam looked up at the mention of her makers name to glance at Eric who had been leaning back in his seat silently watching the two friends exchange; he nodded his head ever so slightly and gave a small smile .

'' It is truly beautiful Sookie , ….thank you '' Looking at the pendant still hanging from her hand Pam felt a strange sensation travel through her core and flutter around her chest , it was not familiar to her , it was…odd ''

Shaking her head slightly she turned in her seat to slide one of her hands into Sookie's lap to grip the girls own and gave a small squeeze , it was a little to public to embrace Sookie and again Pam felt slightly odd that was exactly what she wanted to do . A ghost or her and Eric's conversation last night passed through her mind

Sookie bounced again and squeezed her hand back, she was over the moon her friend liked it, she wanted to ask for Pam to put it on but contained her enthusiasm

The couples little hallmark moment was broken when Eric stood to his impressive height and slinked out of the booth '' You ladies will excuse me there is some quick business I need to attend to , Pam I'm glad you liked Sookie's gift '' He winked at the last part and walked away quickly with a small smirk on his face , he would perhaps tease his child later for looking somewhat choked up by the gesture , this from a Vampire he had personally witnessed twist the head clean off a man for a perceived insult , this thought spurred his plans for tonight on with greater vigour , he had things set up for his little experiment and he was eager to see the results , he just needed a quick test subject .

On queue he spied Vicky scuttling from table to table wiping a dirty cloth over all ready clean surfaces , he admired keen work ethic but when it was backed up with less than stellar intelligence the results were not exactly employee of the month material , well he thought here was a time to put the girl to actual use .

Striding over he took the waitress gingerly but firmly by the arm and began to steer her to his back office , Vicky looked up at him as they went with a mixture of worry and lust , the master had never seemed to notice her before but maybe tonight was her lucky night ! . Or maybe she was in trouble.

Pam had spied Eric's swift retrieval of the waitress as he herded to his office , she had not thought Vicky his type , far to starry eyed and gothy for his taste , but perhaps he just wanted a quick snack . Pam was feeling a little on the hungry side herself as she had yet to feed tonight , Sookie's scent was slowly becoming less of an issue for Pam in terms of association with food/ Sex , that is to say she was now moving into a different mind frame when it came to just how unbelievably tasty Sookie smelled whenever she was around her , but it still fired certain desire inside the vampire , Pam did not like being hungry around Sookie ….it was possibly a bad idea , although she couldn't ever really imagine herself hurting the girl , but as the one vampire in the world who could attest to just what Sookie's blood tasted like ….best to not take chances .

Back in Eric's office Vicky shifted nervously as her lord and master …well in her mind, bent over to retrieve some form of box or carry case wrapped in a grey blanket from the far corner behind his desk and gently lay it on the top

'' I find myself in need of some assistance Vicky, would you be willing? ''

'' Ohh master whatever you need is my pleasure to provide , I've always wanted to serve you personally '' Vicky had been manically fumbling with the front of her dress in an attempt to swiftly release her bosoms from the confines of her far too tight a top

Eric resisted the urge to cringe and swiftly raised his hand to signal she should stop her rather shaky strip tease , any other day and he may have made a comment about having to be pretty hungry before he partook of Longshadows leftovers but as he required the girl to perform this task for him willingly he refrained

'' That is not the kind of help I need Vicky, it's a simple task but I would be pleased if you did this for me '' He injected a little lust into his voice to give some encouragement , not that she should need it as he was after all her boss but ….what was it that Sookie had recently said to him '' _you catch more flies with honey than vinegar_ '' , he had chuckled when he heard that , another of Granma Stackhouse's little nuggets of wisdom apparently .

The waitress stopped her manipulations of her exposed brassiere and stammered a confused response '' Oh…oh ok, whatever you need….master ''

Again Eric resisted an eye roll, he had never actually required his employees to call him by that title, Pam and other Vampires in his area would sometimes use it as that was what he was, a sheriff, and a master but from the human staff it was a little grandiose ….humans didn't require their Cheese burgers to call them Sir, so why should he?.

Stepping aside a little Eric pinched a corner of the blanket that covered the box on his desk , drawing it back and quickly stood away

'' Vicky ….I would like you to put your hand in here '' He gestured to the front of what Vicky could now see was a cage of some sort , she could not make out much more as the interior was bathed in shadow .

'' But…but what's inside master? ''

Eric pulled his lips into a thin smile '' you will see ''

Pam was just about considering asking Eric to sit with Sookie a while so she could go grab a bite to eat when her vampire senses picked up the unmistakable smell of blood wafting around . Quickly after Vicky emerged teary eyed from the rear corridor grasping a cloth to her hand and looking none too happy, ignoring the curious glances of human and Vampire alike she swiftly made her way to the ladies toilets and vanished from view

Pam looked to Sookie who had also traced the girl's rapid travel through the club and they exchanged confused looks, before anything else could be said Eric again appeared at the private booth looking for whatever reason greatly pleased with himself

'' Eric, whatever did you do to Vicky? '' Pam knew Eric's feeding habits and he had never been a messy eater , his dinner usually left his office floating on air and deeply satisfied , not bawling and stinking of blood ! .

'' I can assure you I did not lay a hand on the girl; I think she befell a slight mishap ''

Pam had been about to say more when Eric swiftly held out a hand for Sookie to take '' Little one it is time to get you home I think , if you have no objections I should like to drive you back tonight '' . The sheriff gave a brief wiggle of his eye brows and smiled broadly again

Sookie once more glanced over to Pam but had no real objections, Eric seemed very happy at the moment and happy Eric was something she could live with just fine.

Once Sookie was standing Eric place a hand on the small of her back and shepherded her towards the back door , before he was too far away he swiftly turned and spoke in low tones far to quite for any human to hear

'' Vicky is to have the rest of the night off as well as tomorrow with full pay , also add a bonus to her weekly pay check ….and have one of the other girls check on her in a moment , understood ? ''

Pam nodded her understanding and gave Eric's back a dumbfounded look as he quickly caught Sookie up , she shook her head and muttered to herself , two hundred years and he still sometimes had her guessing exactly what was going on in that mind of his

Pam glided over to the bar to get Ginger's attention and give Eric's instructions, that done she got down to the business of selecting her meal for the night.


	38. Chapter 38

**Here we go again (-:**

Sookie seated herself in the passenger's seat of Eric's waiting Corvette , pants as it turned out made this a much easier proses the telepath thought to herself , Eric however preferred her usual style of dress , it offered a much more interesting view

Eric had excused himself momentarily before blurring off and returning moments later to store something in the trunk before slipping in gracefully to take the wheel

The couple had sat in silence for a few minutes before Eric started up a conversation

'' Did it please you to see Pam enjoyed your gesture , she seemed a little lost for words but in a good way I think ''

'' I'm glad she liked it yes , I was a bit worried at first , I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to jewellery , I've only ever had a few bits and pieces that gran left me , I never knew what happened to my mother's …..its probably just as well , it's not as if I would ever have much call to wear anything fancy ''

Eric frowned at this , there had been no self deprecation in Sookie's voice , just a casual expectance that such a common thing for most women to have and to want should be so totally out of her reach , if he had his way when she was fully his he would have her dripping in finery befitting her beauty ….and maybe not much else

The rest of the journey the couple engaged in casual conversation regarding a variety of small topics , Eric had once again sought assurances regarding Sookie's shields during the Halloween festivities , he did not want to push her to hard if she felt uncertain . But Sookie seemed genuinely interested and excited to be part of it , in her words it was getting more easy to block things out , and while it would never be a completely a comfortable experience to have to try and think of two things at once nearly all the time , it was tolerable

Upon arriving at their destination Sookie had turned in her seat to wish Eric a goodnight and thank him for the ride but Eric interrupted her .

'' Sookie , I know its late but I have something I would like to quickly show you if you would be willing ? ''

The girl had shrugged lightly and happily nodded , she wasn't too tired yet , Vampire hours were starting to grow on her and she had gotten into the habit of trying to catch a quick nap in the afternoon to keep her in good stead for the longer evening .

'' ok , but is it alright if I quickly change out of these cloths , I'd like to throw on a dress , these jeans a nice and all but I think I prefer my usual ''

Eric smiled at her repeat of his own thoughts , he didn't think for one minute she had read his mind as now he was imagining Sookie slipping out of her trousers and the wonders that must lay underneath , there would be no way she would have been able to not react to what he was thinking right now

'' That's fine , you go on ahead I just need to retrieve something from the back ''

Sookie hopped out and made her way up to the front door and sauntered inside , Eric slid out also and used his electronic key to crack open the trunk and remove the grey blanket wrapped bundle carefully , before again securing the trunk and following Sookie inside .

Once indoors he placed his burden on the floor and stood patiently awaiting his host , before long Sookie skipped happily down the stairs in her normal little white dress , Eric raked his eyes over the young girls legs in appreciation ….he definitely liked her better in a dress , Pam would receive instructions that no more jeans were to be on the shopping list .

Sookie plopped herself down on the couch and waited for Eric to reveal what he wanted her to see

'' Sookie …would you mind taking a quick look at this for me '' stooping down he slid the box slightly across the floor and pulled the blanket free to reveal a brown animal carry case , it had small air holes perforating the top and a secure looking metal grid across the front fastened with a clip catch that could be released from above .

Eric glanced up to take in Sookie's confused expression but also to measure the distance between her and the cage , he quickly summarised that if things took a turn for the slightly dangerous he was comfortable in his ability to get to her and remove her from any possible harm , he knew from observation of the cages occupant that it was fast and brutal , his control test with Vicky had proven as much

'' Eric , what is th..''

Before Sookie could finish speaking he popped the catch and the cage door swung wide , for a split second nothing happened but then a burst of orange movement flung itself forth into the room , Sookie shrieked in surprise and fell back in her seat as a blurred shape shot across her living room floor and disappeared under her grandmothers old worn oak china hutch

Eric had pounced to his feet and tensed ready for action , no harm would come to Sookie while he was in the room that much was certain to him , but he needed to let things play out to make any of this worth while

'' ERIC ! ''

Sookie held her hands to her chest as she tried still her beating heart , whatever the hell that was had given her a sudden start , she hadn't been able to control the volume of her voice for a second as she loudly protested her shock , writing herself on the couch she turned and clambered round to kneel on the cushions and stare over the back at the gap between the floor and the china hutch

'' Eric , what in heaven's name was that ? '' She inquired without turning around with a more level voice now

''Its….'' The vampire was a little unsure what to say next , he had been concentrating on risk management and now was slightly at a loss how to exactly put his motives

Not waiting for Eric's reply Sookie clambered out of her seat and made her way over to the china hutch

Eric was quick to stand slightly behind her

'' Sookie , have a care , it can be…a little unpredictable ''

''It ? '' Sookie frowned before knelling down in front of the old piece of Stackhouse furniture

Eric took a few small steps back but kept his leg muscles tensed and ready , his arms primed to snatch her away at a moment's notice

Sookie crouched down even further towards the floor and peeked under the hutch , it was dark and little light penetrated all the way to the back , doubly so as Sookie was looking from behind her tinted glasses but from the dark a low rumbling growl could be clearly heard emitting from the gloom .

Sookie looked up and back to Eric with a questioning face , before crouching back down again

Eric watched Sookie like a hawk as the scene played out , his interest doubly peeked when he saw her lay her head almost flat to the ground and raise her hand to the side of her face , he witnessed her slightly shift the arm on one side of her glasses to raise the spectacles slightly up her head and he assumed to expose her eyes , he cursed his vantage point as he could not see her face , simply the back of her head

''Ohh Eric ''

Sookie corrected her eye wear before shuffling back a bit to sit crossed legged just in front of the gap , she extended one hand to just the perimeter of the shadow cast by the space between the floor and the hutch

'' Sookie …'' Eric spoke softly

The young girl looked up at him without removing her hand and offered a smile '' Its ok , he's just afraid '' she spoke in a soft voice that was gentle but absolutely confident in itself

She looked back again before he could speak

'' It's alright , I won't hurt you , you can come out now '' The only response was another slightly louder rumble in an even higher pitch

'' Now cut that out , I told you its ok , you can come out now , your safe here '' Sookie continued to speak into the dark

Almost a minute of silence passed , Eric stood statue still , Sookie kept her hand on the cusp of the darkness

Slowly a shape began to shift and form from the shadows , small noises made their way out but this time it was the sound of sniffing and low grunting

Orange matted fur inched forward to greet Sookie's hand , the top of a tufted head with small triangle ears laid almost flat against its skull was now clearly visible in the light , small curious sniffs were made at her offered appendage , gingerly Sookie began to withdraw her hands and almost like an invisible string was attached , the orange fur followed , first a head , then a plump mangy body and finally a curled tail kept protectively close to its owners hind legs

One clear green eye stared up curiously up at the perfectly still Sookie , she offered only a gentle smile

Leaning back a bit she patted the space in her lap and waited , the cats head cocked to the side to consider her unspoken offer , its tongue flicked out to lick the snaggle tooth that hung from the corner of its mouth

Sookie again patted her lap '' Come one , its ok '' once more her voice cut a gentle tone

Eric remained rooted to his spot …..waiting

Consideration over , and with a few slow movements the creature padded the final distance and raised its front paws to rest on Sookie legs , more investigating sniffs were made of her bare feet and dress covered lap , and with that its mind seemed to be made up

Eric watched dumbfounded as the disgusting cat jumped into Sookie lap and raised its head to sniff and take her scent , Sookie's giggled as it rooted into her bosom as she stroked its matted fur , turning itself around it snuggled down to sit apparently happy and contented into her lap , its tail hung over the side of her knee and swished lightly

'' There we go , told you its ok , nothing to be afraid of here just me and Eric ''

Almost as if it could discern the girls words the cat turned its head away from rubbing into Sookie stomach and cast a cold one eyed glance at the still unmoving vampire , once more the sound of a low rumbling growl was heard

'' Now you stop that , Eric's nice , he brought you here '' Sookie scolded the cat in a motherly tone and it quickly returned to rubbing its head back and forth on her hand as she stroked it .

Eric continued to watch and proses the scene before him , before he was not sure , not sure when he saw Sookie with the strange and varied creatures in her back yard , not sure if this was normal , such animals may have over time come to trust the girl , this was not outside the realm of possibility , but this…..this was most definitely not normal , this creature was wild , viscous , feral , it had attacked all others it had come into contact with , proven unmanageable for even humans who were supposedly trained to deal with such things , attacked Vicky's hand in the office without pause without consideration , but with a few gentle words and a tiny bit of patience Sookie had the thing kowtowed and submissive in her lap like it had sat there every night of its life ….not normal at all

Sookie giggled lightly again as the cat began to rumble once more , but this time it was slow and steady and almost rhythmical to Eric's ears

'' What is it doing '' He asked perplexed

Sookie looked up to give him a light hearted frown and grin '' He's purring Eric , he's happy . Have you never had a cat before ? ''

'' Most certainty not …..have you ? ''

Sookie look abashed '' Well actually no , but I know what purring is ''

Looking back down she continued her soft ministrations on the cats fur '' Now what are we going to call you then ? ''

Eric's head twitched back up from looking at the animal '' Call it ? ….what do you mean , call it ? ''

Sookie laughed '' Well he needs a name Eric , I think I'm going to call you…Bill ''

Bill squeaked in protest as Sookie slid her hands under its fat body and lifted him from his warm snug spot in her lap , laying him gently on his feet Sookie stood and walked the short distance over to Eric

Before he could protest , before he could explain that this was not an animal he had at all meant for her to keep , it was an experiment , a test , nothing more , all other thought was abandoned

Sookie embraced him

Her small arms hugged his body tightly at the waist as she laid her hear against his muscled chest , without releasing him she spoke quietly

'' Thank you Eric , I can't believe you got me a Cat , I've always wanted a proper pet I could have in the house …. , thank you ''

Eric enclosed his arms around her body and returned her embrace , lowering his head he rested it atop hers and relished the feel of her soft curves pressed so tightly against him , inhaling in he took the sweet scent that was unequivocally Sookie , the scent he had fantasised about for many nights.

'' You've been in the sun today '' he kept his own tone low

Sookie shifted a little to look up at him but made no attempt to release him from her arms , Eric certainly had no inclination to release her from his

'' How do you know that ? '' a small smile on her lips as she spoke

'' I can smell it , you smell like sunlight and wild flowers …you smell …beautiful ''

Sookie stared up at Eric's face , he had a reverend look she hadn't seen before , his cobalt blue eyes seemed to be expressing something but she couldn't tell what , but ….being held by him …seamed ..so natural , she should be afraid she reasoned but she wasn't , not anymore , he had been nothing but kind to her of late , nothing but gentle , and now to get her something she had always dreamed of having without her even asking , not that she would have ever asked for it , but he had somehow known anyway .

Eric raised one hand to caress her check with his palm , he still held her close and took she had made no move to be released as a sure sign . Sookie leaned her face into his hand and closed her eyes behind her glasses , her thoughts were calm , this was nice , this was…intermit ….she liked this .

One thumb trailed lightly over the lens of Sookie's tinted spectacles , he considered his question before asking , he did not want for all the Royalty blend in the world to spoil this moment but perhaps…

Sookie pre-empted his next words '' I'm still not ready….but …I think soon i ..''

Eric never got to hear the rest of what she wanted to say , the rest of what he very much wanted to hear her say

Bill had become tired of being ignored by the small human he liked , that smelt like warmth his mother's almost forgotten warmth and the tall other not human he didn't like who smelt like death and rot .

Loud mewling broke the trance of the vampire and the telepath , and shattered the mood

Sookie blushed and released Eric from her hold stepping back , Eric almost didn't release her but had to except their moment was over …he had already decided he hated Bill .

Looking down at the source of his ire Eric frowned '' Why Bill …, is this a usual name for this type of creature ? ''

Sookie giggled and bent down to stroke an eager bill '' He's a cat Eric , not a creature , and I guess he kind of reminds me of an old stuffed teddy bear I used to have …although he had two eyes , my daddy called him Bill , something about a story book gran had read him when he was a little boy , Bill the Bear ''

Standing back up she turned and quickly trotted in the direction of the kitchen '' I'm going to just get him some milk ''

Eric smoothed down the front of his t-shirt and felt the warm patch Sookie had left , certainly not wishing to ruin the affection he seemed to have gained by apparently '' Gifting '' her with this animal he hastily covered his tracks with an excuse of a lack of forethought .

Raising his voice a little so Sookie could hear him in the next room he embellished a little

'' I'm afraid I may have left the cre…, I mean BILLS food and bedding at Fangtasia , Bobby burman will deliver it tomorrow '' Bobby would also actually have to purchase it as well but what did he pay the man for .

Lowering his tone once more he stood a little closer to the filthy beast '' I will allow you to remain here BILL '' He almost spat the cat's name

'' But rest assured the girl IS mine and shall soon be completely , do not attempt to interfere ''

Bill raised his hackles at the tall not human of death and rot , unsheathing his claws he dragged them heavily across the floor boards without budging an inch , he did not understand its sounds but knew another predator when he saw one , this place only smelt of the small human he liked , so he knew the tall one did not belong here , good , he had wanted a home for so long now , he would fight the way he always had , the tall not human would not take the small human from him . She belonged to him now .

**If you own a Cat ….bet you got this chapter better than those who do not (-:**

**Thanks for reading , will try and update again tomorrow **


	39. Chapter 39

**Happy New Year y'all**

Bill padded slowly round the bedroom of his new human , but to say new would suggest he had ever had a human which in fact he had not , his earliest memory had been fighting for food in alleyways and on roof tops with others of his kind , his left eye had been taken when he was less than a year old , the consequence of attempting to stand his ground against a much older , larger Tom cat , the prize had been a discarded chicken carcass and at the time it seemed more than worth it , he had not eaten for many days and his belly protested its lack of sustenance and spurred him to fight when perhaps discretion and caution would have been preferable .

The lesson was well learned however and in the years since he had cut a bloody swath through Shreveport and any who challenged him once knew not to do so again . But now it seemed he had a new place to call his home , normally humans were vile untrustworthy things , best avoided and if that was not possible then best to attack first and ask questions later , this is how he had come to be imprisoned in that foul place with other incarcerated animals and his own kind , it stank of death and other strange strong odours in there and he knew in his old bones that it was the final end for many an animal in that place .

But now his luck seemed to have changed , the little human was different , he wasn't sure how he knew he just did , there was no danger in her , no warning , and he had decided to keep her .

The tall one had left now and he was glad of this , he most definitely did not trust him , he wasn't human although he looked like other humans , he was something else and his gut told him whatever the tall one was it was to be avoided , he had not liked it when the small human had been touched by him , it tainted her warm smell with rot , he would be sure to scent her later and stake his claim

Sniffing an old pair of the small ones shoes he completed his inspection and was satisfied that there was indeed no danger in this room to him or his human .

Sookie emerged from the bathroom after having brushed her teeth and quickly washing her face , she supposed she should really have a shower but she was now just to tired , Eric had left a while ago and now she just wanted to crash and snuggle in her bed , tonight had been an enjoyable evening for many reasons , she had been thrilled that Pam had liked her gift , and now she knew for certain that she was in fact invited to the Halloween party she had something to look forward too , it was a little intimidating the thought of so many people but she had complete faith in Pam and Eric to keep her safe

And now she had a pet !

Eric giving her a cat of her very own had been one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for her , and then being held by him ….that was nice as well . It felt different to when she held Pam , her friend offered comfort and solace , but Eric ….he seemed to be making her feel something different these days , something unfamiliar , she didn't know if she was just imagining it but he seemed to enjoy holding her as well , when he had told her she smelt beautiful there had been a tight feeling in her belly , the feel of his chest was hard and unyielding but safe at the same time , when his arms had been around her …..she felt like nothing could hurt her . This was a fantastic feeling to someone like her who had spent so much of her life afraid of one thing or another . Maybe she should ask Pam about this , or would it be strange to talk about it with Pam as she was Eric's , child , daughter , type thing

When she had looked up at him tonight when he was so close and their bodies touching for a moment she thought maybe just maybe he was going to kiss her …and she wouldn't have minded at all , was that strange ? , to maybe want to be kissed by someone who when you first met them nearly killed you . It was getting harder and harder to reconcile that first meeting with the Vampire she had just bid goodnight too …..but maybe this was all just in her head , Eric had said a Telepath would be a useful person to have around so maybe he was just being nice to her because of that , she had to admit that thought hurt a little

Pulling the covers back Sookie snuggled down and reached over to turn of the light , as soon as the room was plunged into darkness , she felt the impact of Bill jumping onto the quilt and bedding down next to her , reaching out she stroked his tufty fur and let out a small yawn .

'' Na nite Bill , welcome to your new home ''

Sookie drifted off to sleep with the sound of Bills contented purring in the background .

**(Eric and Pam nest )**

Pam stood in front of Eric's desk with her hand on her hip and fixed her seated maker with a cold stare '' So let me get this straight ….you somehow procured a wild , vicious animal and released it into Sookie's house ! ''

Eric lent back in his seat and clasped his hands behind his head '' You make it sound much worse than it is Pam , Sookie was never in any danger , do you truly believe I would allow any harm to befall her when I was their ? ''

Pam huffed and threw her hands up '' You are not there now ! . What if it is attacking her as we speak ''

Eric waved off her concern as he lent forward again to flick on his computers monitor '' As I have already told you there is no danger of that , Sookie was able to bring the creature under control within no time and now it is….her pet '' He frowned at the last part

Pam seated herself in the chair in front of the desk and matched his own frown '' But again master , Why ? ''

'' Because I wanted to prove something in my own mind , you have to understand Pam this go's beyond simply having an affinity for fauna , it's a quantifiable force I believe Sookie is quite literally putting out all the time , there is no doubt that creature would have attacked ANYBODY who came near it but not Sookie …Why ? . What is it she is doing , is it related to her telepathy ? , some other ability she possess , and how can we be certain that it is restricted to lower animals , how do we know you and I are in fact not being affected by it ? ''

Pam paused and chewed her lip before speaking '' Do you believe Sookie is aware she is doing it ? ''

Eric also paused for a moment , he too had been thinking on just that question on the drive back from Sookie's isolated little farm , he spoke slowly as if considering his words carefully '' No…no I do not for a minute believe Sookie is aware , that is to say if she is , then she is not concealing it so much as she simply would not consider it worth mentioning , do not forget this is a girl who views Telepathy as a curse , Teleportation as an embarrassing quirk , and WHAT is behind those ACCURSED GLASSES ! ''

Eric brought his fist down hard onto his desk , the wood groaned in protest

If Pam had been human she would have jumped , but she simply sagged back a little further into her chair '' Please do not be displeased with her master , I'm sure..''

The elder vampire flicked his wrist in dismissal '' I am not angry with her , how can I blame her for not knowing what she is , when I who have walked this earth for more than a thousand years , have no idea myself …it is simply frustrating that even as we make progress with training her , we ….I still have no clue as to her origins , what else is she capable of doing ? , for all we know we have not even scratched the surface …..Soon we may have to start asking some harder questions Pam , we may have to start forcing things a little more ''

Pam's posture changed to a more rigid pose , letting Eric's statement hang in the air for a moment she like her master began to speak with carful tone '' What are you suggesting Eric ? . What do you mean force things more ? ''

Her maker glanced up to observe her '' Perhaps…perhaps it is time to consider relocating her , it would be far easier to monitor her here in the nest …, maybe it is time I informed her of her new status ''

'' Her new Status ? '' Pam had begun to get a bad feeling about this conversation

'' Her new status as mine of course , I have been patient have I not , given her time to grow accustomed to me , to no longer fear me . She no longer recoils from my touch ….I desire to taste her Pam , I think it may help me gain a better understanding of her nature , perhaps offer some clue to her genius ''

Before Pam could add anything Eric stood and strode round his desk , standing before a seated Pam he reached out to stroke her hair '' We shall not speak of this anymore tonight Pam , after the Halloween Ball we shall talk more , for now nothing will change , but after that it may be time to consider the future , to consider Sookie's future ''

Pam looked up at her maker and slowly nodded , a lot could happen in a few weeks , things may change , she could already see Sookie warming to Eric little by little , it was not as if she was terrified of him anymore as he said ….but still , conflict was most certainly not something she was used to feeling about Eric …..but here it was .

Eric waited until Pam had left before sitting again in front of the fire , perhaps he misspoke to his child , he could see the concern in her beautiful face , but the truth be known , he felt he like he had lost a little control of the situation regarding Sookie , he was happy about their exchange tonight , he even fancied he felt the first stirrings of desire within her , but it still seemed strange to him that she occupied so much of his thoughts , he did desired to know more of her , to touch the parts of her he could tell she kept hidden , not just her eyes although he was not sure how much longer he could be content to let her decide when she would reveal those to him , but the heart and soul that drove her , that had proved its metal and worth by withstanding a life time of suffering , neglect , and marginalization but still emerged pure and strong , not since he first saw Pam sneaking home that late and Foggy night through the London streets had he been so captivated by a women , but with Sookie it was perhaps even more so

Patience he knew was a virtue , it had been one of the many lessons his maker had taught him , but soon he would need to have her , it was now absolutely out of the question that things could be any other way , there was no way he could now allow her to walk away , his desire would consume him if that were to occur he knew this . No there could only be one outcome now

**( Sookie's Woods )**

The mid-morning sun counteracted some of the growing chill of the season but Sookie had still opted to dress a little more warmly this morning , her grandmothers old heavy woollen shall draped over shoulders atop her blue gardening cardigan . The frigid ground had meant she also could not go barefoot as she much preferred , so a pair of new white sneakers she and Pam had purchased adorned her feet .

Bending over she twisted a few of the chanterelle mushrooms from the patch she had spied at the base of an old cherry oak and placed them in her waiting basket , the last few she left to spread their spores and hopefully ensure a further crop next season .

She knew that gathering food like this was now not really a necessity anymore , Eric or Pam she wasn't sure which had somehow altered the standing order from Bon Tomps dry good and sundries she had been receiving all these years and nearly tripled it , she now had a dizzying array of new canned and fresh foods as well as multiple other what she would deem luxury items , her panty had been stacked to capacity with the last delivery and had not seen such abundance in many a year .

But old habits were hard to break , for as long as she had been alone foraging for food had been a love and most definitely a necessity , a few years some environmental factor had prevented the usual delivery and her garden and what she could harvest from the forest had gotten her through some very very lean times , so even with her current glut of food she still wanted to try and get some of these mushrooms picked and dried before the coming frost killed off the last of them .

Nipping at her heals Bill stalked from grassy patch to grassy patch consuming any insect or indeed any other creature small enough and foolish enough to not get out of his way . Sookie had balked when she first saw him pounce on a unfortunate field mouse and swallow him almost hole , its little tail wiggling before disappearing into the cats mouth , but she could hardly berate him for simply doing what she herself was in fact doing , collecting from nature what was needed to survive , but after that she made sure not to turn around when she heard a startled squeak or other as to not have to witness the final moments of whatever it was that he had caught .

Bending down again she stoked her feline protector and cooed her approval of him , his fur was now much neater than it had been after she had given him a thorough scrub in the bath this morning . To say Bill had been a little put out by the experience would be very much an understatement , but where's he would normally rip the hand off any who dared subject him to such indignity , that had not been an option for him this time as hurting his new small human had just seemed wrong to him , so he had endured it as best he could , of course that did not stop him being very vocal in his displeasure

Sookie had to careful snip off the worst of Bills mangled tufts and knotted fur , she would never have said it out loud as to not hurt her new little friends feelings , but he now smelled a lot better than he had that first night in her bed , the sight of him soaking wet and bedraggled in her bath tub had just about broke her heart but after wrapping him in a warm fluffy towel , he had been much consoled and once dry he had been treated to some rich cream from the cooler and she hoped forgiven .

Without warning Bill stopped rubbing himself against Sookie's leg and snapped to attention like a drilled marine , his one eye fixed and alert began to scan the surroundings , Sookie looked up to try and see what could have caused this change in attitude , casting out with her mental net she quickly picked up what Bill had done before her .

Smiling she placed her basket down and raised her voice to address the now familiar mental signature

'' Hey Atticus , you going to hide out there all morning '' She giggled a little

Less than a few seconds later the young boy in question emerged from behind some thick undergrowth rubbing the back of his head '' Damn Sook , how do you always know when I'm around?''

Before Sookie could answer her new friend the sound of Bills warning growl sounded in the forest , Stepping forward a few paces he put himself in between his small human and this new not human who STANK like DOG ! . He raised his hackles and arched his back in warning , screeching in protest he spit and hissed his displeasure at this interloper , this was his territory now and he would defend it , no DOG not human would touch his small human while he was around , Bill sized up his enemy and had already decide to go for his leg , humans had soft flesh in the space between there clumsy feet and tops of their thigh's , even if this smelly intruder was not truly human he would still bet four set of claws and fangs buried deep into that spot would bring the desired effect .

'' Bill you stop that now ! ''

Bill shrank back at the sound of Sookie's stern tone , he was used to her sounds being gentle so was always a little taken aback when it took a harsher turn .

Turning , Bill trotted back to submit a bowed head to her leg

'' Jesus H , Sookie where did you get the mountain lion from ? '' Atticus eyed the orange tuffty berserker with caution

Sookie raised her head from brow beating Bill to give the boy that wide smile that he loved so much

'' Eric got him for me , isn't he great ! ''

Looking back to the cat in question , Atticus considered his response , a line of drool hung from its exposed fang

'' yeah…yeah he sure is….something '' He hoped the answer was sufficient

Picking up her basket again Sookie walked over to her visitor and they quickly fell into casual and pleasant conversation , as they strolled leisurely through the woods , they talked about the mushrooms Sookie had been gathering and he told her a little of what he had been up to since they had last met , Sookie didn't understand all of the terms Atticus used or some of the things he said he had been doing , but she used her little quirk to get small flashes of images from his mind , he was still very hard to read but she got the jist .

Bill followed close behind looking for any sign of hostility from his humans '' Guest ''

When Sookie had told him of her excitement at being invited to her first party at Fangtasia's Halloween ball ,she noted that his normally care free and handsome face fell a little the way it only did when she brought up Pam or Eric , she had noticed it before but had been too polite to ask as it wasn't nice to pry as her Gran had always told him , but now she really was curious .

'' Atticus…..do you not like Vampires ? '' She had stopped walking to face the boy and wait for his response

Atticus likewise turned to her and halted , he looked down to kick some leave from his foot and shoved his hands in his pockets , the were had deliberately not asked about Sookie's apparent deep involvement with the fangers up till now , part of him was afraid of what the answer would be , he just couldn't picture what involvement a girl as sweet and nice as Sookie was could be . Was she a prisoner , some kind of special pet the wretched creatures were forcing her to do something or other , many a night he had been kept awake by thoughts of this pure little girl being subjugated for some dark purpose or other , she had already told him she had no kin or other real friends that weren't Vampires so therefore no one to protect her or look out for her , it made him sick to envision her being used in any way .

'' Sook ….. , it's not that I don't like them …..ok maybe that not really true but it's just …'' Atticus struggled to find the wright words

'' Oh ok , here it is , Sook have they got something over you ? . Making you do something for them maybe you don't want to do …do they feed off you ? '' He couldn't bring himself to look at her , he was afraid of her answer , partly because he didn't want it to be true ,and also because he knew that if she said yes and asked for help , fangers or not , seven kinds of trouble or not , he would have to help her , he would just have to

'' Atticus look at me ''

Her voice drew his gaze from his feat , she stepped closer and before he could ask what she was doing she laid one delicate hand on his shoulder and tiptoed to bring her lips to peck his cheek

Atticus blushed and stuttered from the act as Sookie stepped back again

'' I'm not sure what have over me means , but I can see…, I mean I can …I know your worried about me and that means a lot , but you don't have to worry , Pam really is my friend and Eric is…well he is a little harder to explain but they do look out for me , me and Pam have always been friends , and while me and Eric had a bit of a rocky start , I trust him now …they care for me , I know they do ''

Sookie had almost let slip that she could see in his mind the concern and anxiety he was feeling at her possibly being abused , as well as his firm resolve that if she asked he would do all in his power to help , something's were still unclear in his snarly mind but that much was plain , her throat had tightened at the sentiment , she would not soon forget it

Bill bristled as he watched his little human slip her hand into the smelly dogs own paw and begin walking slowly again

Why was she always touching these_ disgusting _creatures ? .


	40. Chapter 40

**Thank you so much for all your great feedback and words of encouragement , they really do mean a lot and fire me to keep going , this is a bit of a long one as could not find a place to put a chapter break without spoiling things . Hope you enjoy**

* * *

Sookie flittered round her bed room in abound with nervous energy , Pam had long since stopped trying to put the final touches to the girls hair as she refused to stay put for more than a few seconds

'' Sookie I'm seriously considering nailing your feet to the floor in a minute , you need to calm down''

The telepath made a small squealing noise before disappearing into the bathroom to take another look at herself '' I can't help it Pam , I'm excited ! . I've never been to a party before and I love that I've finally got a chance to wear the dress you got me and Aheee.. I hope it's going to be fun ! ''

Pam appeared in the mirror behind her to adjust her own make up and sit her Police officers hat at a saucy angle . For the Halloween ball Pam had opted for a rubber and leather faux Policewomen's motorcycle outfit . Actual Police officers uniforms didn't show as much cleavage , or have quite so many suspect looking accessories hanging from their belts however . Sookie had made the mistake of asking what the largest of them was , and Pam had gladly answered her , that was until Sookie had literally run from the room with her fingers in her ears , Sookie was of the mind that Pam must be joking as there was no way an woman could possibly accommodate ...something like that .

Pam had attempted to get Sookie to wear a costume of some description , but she had been steadfast in her refusal she had desperately been wanting to wear her Purple dress her vampire friend had bought her , she had not wanted to wear it just for training at Fangtasia and felt it was too good for just any old night .

'' Are you certain Sookie ? , I know it's a bit late now but Halloween is usually a time when people , human and Vampire alike dress up as something or other ''

Sookie twirled a few times in the centre of the room to make sure the dress frilled out the way it was supposed to '' But I love this dress Pam , and I'm not really sure about dressing up , it looks good on you but I bet if I wore something like you have , then it would just make me look silly ...and I think Gran would roll over in her grave if I had anything like what you have hanging from my belt ''

Pam grinned before licking her lips and swinging her hips a little to get the item in question to slap against her thigh '' Hey don't knock it till you've tried it little Angel ''

Sookie stopped on the spot and broke out into a smile of her own before jumping up and down a few times '' Ooohh I've got an idea ! ''

Pam stepped forward with a shocked look on her face '' What ? , you really want to try it ? ''

'' Ewww Pam , NO , not that , I've got an idea to look more Halloweeny but still wear my dress , il be back in a sec '' With that she dashed from the room and left pam with a disappointed look on her face

Bill who had been watching the women prepare for their night out from his cosy spot on Sookie's pillow looked up to watch his little human dash from the room , and leave him alone with the small not human who smelt like less like death than the tall not human , but still carried the same taint.

When Pam had arrived earlier this evening to help Sookie prepare for the festivities she and Bill had a small standoff in Sookie's living room , both parties had coldly assessed each other with equal distain , the young Telepath had been forced to step in between both of them before Bill had carried out his attack plan , Pam for her part had looked ready for a fight also , but after Sookie had admonished the feline for his bad manners he had slinked off upstairs to stake his claim to his and Sookie's bed , since that altercation he had been content to simply keep a wary eye on the new not human , but now after watching them perform all sorts of strange and baffling practices , he was just bored .

Pam looked up from her primping in the mirror to catch Bill giving her a cold stare in the refection

'' Just try it fuzz ball and il make winter mittens out of you and tell Sookie you ran away to join the kitty Circus , she is trusting enough to believe it ''

Bill licked his snaggle tooth and plopped his head down to nap , he was unimpressed .

A few moments later Sookie shot back into the room and performed a quick twirl in the centre , Pam raised an eye brow and walked over to join her

'' Where in the world did you get those ? '' The vampire reached out to stroke the adornment's Sookie now wore strapped to her back , the frame appeared to be made out of wire coat hangers flexed and bent to form the rigid structure , over which a light and shimmering silver materiel was pulled taught , the tops and bottoms were adorned with glitter , Pam had to admit they were an impressive pair of fairy wings , they clipped straight onto the back of Sookie's dress and complemented it nicely . Pam already thought Sookie looked stunning in her purple dress with its glittering set stones on the bosom and with her hair tucked and pinned up to expose her luscious looking tanned neck . Heads were going to turn tonight , and possibly fangs drop .

'' I made them '' Sookie proudly stated '' I used to play dress up with gran and she said I made a really great fairy princess , look I've even got a tiara to go with it , I don't think it will mess with the great job you did with my hair , I thought I could let the front locks sort of hang down over it''

Holding the tiara in question out for Pam to inspect , she asked

'' what do you think ? ''

Pam had been about to say whatever Sookie wanted was fine and it would help her get into the spirit of things , when she actually took a moment to inspect the item , she stopped

''Sookie…where did you get this ? '' The small silver coloured tiara seemed to be fashioned from one piece of metal , it was twisted and curved to form a natural organic looking head piece , although in silver colour Pam knew it wasn't silver , she had known before touching it as the way the light bounced of it was completely different to the way it would off the Bain of vampire kind

Set in sequence between the oak leaf patterns that mimicked natural forest flora on the garnet were brilliant blue stones , that sparkled even in the muted light of the bedroom , bringing it closer to her eyes Pam quickly assessed they were real whatever they were , she was no stranger to quality jewels and these were unlike anything she had ever seen before , not diamonds , not sapphires but something….different .

'' Oh I've had it for years , I found it '' Sookie stated while tacking pam's former place in front of the mirror to admire her wings

Pam looked up from inspecting the obviously , handcrafted finery

'' you FOUND it ? '' The vampire exclaimed , disbelief colouring her words '' Sookie where in hell did you find something like this ? ''

Sookie turned to face her friend , she had noticed her change in demeanour '' I found it in the woods one day when I was a little girl , I forget where , it was not long after I came to live with gran , you know after my parents…anyway , I found it and I thought it was pretty '' Sookie shrugged to indicate she had no more to add

'' Sookie , you do realise this thing is real …., you know real , real . It must be worth a bloody fortune!''

'' Well , when I showed it to gran she didn't really say much , her eyes weren't that great anymore , she told me to go put it back where I found it in the woods just in case somebody lost it and came back to look , although it's not like we had a lot of people pass through this area , I went back a few days later and it was still where I left it so Gran let me keep it , I used to wear it all the time when I played ''

Pam fingered the intricate carvings and mused to herself , what were the chances of just randomly walking through the woods one day and finding something , that would not have looked out of place on a lady of the Romanov or Windsor .

'' So do you think I shouldn't wear it ? '' Sookie asked sounding a little disappointed

Looking up Pam regarded the girl for a moment before coming to some internal conclusion

'' No Sookie ….no , it's yours so you should wear it , it will look great on you '' Stepping forward she gently placed the half-crown on her head and moved back to take in the whole picture . The blue stones of mystery origin that adorned the tiara really did make the whole ensemble pop , Sookie looked incredible , she quickly made idle chatter to put Sookie at ease again but Pam was already planning to bring this up with Eric , this had to be significant somehow …she just didn't know how .

After another hour or so of final touches , Sookie bent over her bed to kiss the top of Bill's slumbering head , behind her Pam curled her lip in disgust and shuddered .

'' Night Bill , il see you in a little while '' Bill cracked open his one eye and squeaked a tired goodbye before closing it again and quickly returning to dreams of catching and killing small furry things .

Closing up the house and the drive to Fangtasia seemed to fly past from Sookie's point of view , soon she was eagerly clambering out of Pam's car that was parked in what to her looked like a wildly heaving Fangtasia , many strange and wondrous things were going on all around , bizarrely dressed fangbangers rubbed shoulder to shoulder with hired performers who juggled , and leaped ,and back flipped, all around to the delight of the queuing patrons and vampire , although the undead seemed to hold a more aloof aplomb to the entertainment .

Pam quickly assisted with clipping Sookie's wings in place and slipped her arm around the girls waist , giving her a quick kiss on the cheek she shot her a mischievous grin

Walking in time with each other they approached the velvet roped entrance , and passed the waiting individual , living and otherwise

'' Lets knock em ' dead little Angel ! ''

* * *

**( Eric's Office ) **

The vampire sheriff of area five was not as you would say a happy camper , he had been attempting to get hold of Longshadow for almost two days now , his continued absenteeism was starting to become troubling . He had trackers out and called round to check with the other area Sheriffs but the vampire had to be found or surface . But tonight he had other problems and duties to attend to , his call to the King had been mercifully brief thank the gods , he had wished him a pleasant all hallows eve , and told him he was looking forward to his upcoming visit , he hoped his lie sounded believable , he was in no shape or form looking forward to having to attend the kings little get together in Las Vegas , but needs must when the devil drives…in this case the devils name was De Castro .

Tossing his blackberry onto his desk he removed the leather jerkin from the back of his chair , this year he had decided he would make a dashing pirate , a simple plain white poet shirt with ruffled front was tucked into leather trousers adorned with a gold sash , and his upper thighs and legs were covered in his heavy felt and tanned hide mariners waders , he had considered carrying a cutlass on his belt but had gone against it , to theatrical . Having said that the whole modern idea of pirates was a little theatrical to him , he had met the genuine article a few times in the past , they were wretched stinking creatures who wore little more than rags and reeked of many days and nights of rum and urine , but he looked pretty good if he didn't say so himself .

Pam had braided his hair for him before leaving to help Sookie get ready , he had wanted that duty for himself but had to admit after Pam asked him did he know how to perform a French twist , that perhaps she was the better option.

His own braids were pulled back and secured into a ponytail fastened with a simple leather cord , a gold hair pin was inserted for effect , his child always did have an eye for this sort of thing . Eric licked his lips when he thought of what Pam may have done to Sookie tonight , this was her first real party as he understood it and that would mean Pam would have pulled out all the stops .

Taking a moment to compose himself he pulled down on the crotch of his trousers , it would not do to walk out into his domain sporting a semi , he would just have to wait and see what the object of his desire looked like .

Once in the club he spent a few minutes glad handing a few of the notable Vampires in his area and giving solemn nods to the lesser ranks . The decor he felt was impressive , dark burgundy curtains hung from the walls giving the scene a mystic feel from the normal simple paint job , everywhere you looked there were black crushed velvet coverings on the chairs and surfaces

Fangtasia's diligent and efficient staff scurried here and there topping up drinks and tacking orders , more than a few bottles of Royalty blend he saw were being ferried to private booths around the club , vampires loved to try and outdo one another so if one table ordered a bottle of the expensive tipple , than the others would have to also save face , the little net skirts on the waitresses did actual go well with the table cloths as Pam had envisioned , he may have to arrange a bonus for her .

Strolling with grace and presence Eric ascended the platform in pride of place at the back of the bar and took his throne , it was the only chair not covered tonight as it had its own usual decoration of carved wood and white fox fur upholstery , once seated he crossed his long legs at the ankle and began to observe his little kingdom with practised disinterest , he dismissed all the fangbangers lucky enough to get on the guest list and then brave enough to offer there filthy necks to him .

Although in truth most had made an effort , some of the costumes worn by the women who submitted themselves at the base of his throne , would perhaps in other years been granted a chance to please him but tonight they were nought but offal while he was waiting for his steak .

Said Le Cordon Bleu meal and if Eric had his way so much more , was just entering with Pam as Eric flicked his wrist in dismissal of yet another Elvira wannabe who had even dared as to get close enough to stroke the shin of his boot.

Eric had caught the scent before he saw her as had just about every other Vampire in the club , and then the crowd had parted to make way for his child and attached to her arm…was Sookie

It was like somebody had let a flare off in a dark cave , she looked simply mouth-watering in a lavender cocktail dress that show pieced her ample chest while promising more than it showed , the crystals in the bust playfully winked at him from across the room , teasing him

Her hair was held up in a mini work of art , not a strand out of place , Pam had outdone herself tonight , two delicate shining gold ringlets framed her lovely cherub face as they hung from a twinkling silver tiara set with blue stones , they truly were the crowning touch to her visage , her usual rounded silver tinted glasses did make an odd touch to things but it didn't detract from the sumptuous banquet before him , he supressed a smile at the sight of her little silver wings , he briefly wondered if that had been Pam's idea .

Sun kissed blemish free skin screamed at him from across the room , as Pam led her over Eric could not help but notice the crescendo of fangs that had descended in her path , it was as if they were made of solid steel and she was a mini electro magnet working her way through the room , dozens of glowing eyes regarded her hungrily from around the bar , her smell alone had cut the air like a hot knife through butter milk , but looking the way she did only cemented the avid interest of nearly every vampire in the room .

He would put pains to any illusions any one was foolish enough to have

Standing to his full height he descended his dais in fluid motion and met the couple who had set the club abuzz with their entry , time to show every one gathered .his

Pam had also noticed the attention they had garnered upon entry , luckily a quick glance as Sookie told her she was blissfully unaware , as her little friend was simply looking this way and that in what she assumed was wide eyed excitement behind her spectacles at all the sights there were to see , so typical she thought , Sookie never seemed to notice the effect she had on anyone…..Pam wasn't sure if that was good or bad .

Pam waited until Eric was almost on them , before lightly disengaging herself from the telepath and gently giving her a small push off that took her straight into Eric's waiting arms .

The vampire sheriff gratefully received the prize his child had brought him . Sookie beamed up at Eric as he came to stand before her

'' Hi Eric , this place looks amazing ! '' she gushed

Eric bent a little to retrieve Sookie's hand from her side and brought it to his lips to give a slow and lazy kiss on the back

''No Sookie , the bar simply looks nice , you look amazing '' He smirked and pulled back a bit to take her in once again without releasing her hand

The Telepath blushed furiously and she wouldn't have been surprised if someone told her that her skin was glowing red , looking down she sought advice from the floor .

Eric quickly gripped her chin ever so easily and brought he back to face him again '' Stars do not look down Sookie , they shine out , and so should you '' He didn't smirk this time but offered a true and honest smile , Sookie could not help but smile back .

'' You like nice as well…..Pirate ? ''

Eric grinned '' Northman the terrible , scourge of ladies virtue at you service little fairy '' he pronounced with a slight flourish

'' Sookie , would you like a drink ? '' Pam brought her friends attention back from staring up into her makers eyes

''mmmmmmm…what do people normally drink at a party ? '' She really was at a loss , normally she drank water when she sat in Fangtasia , but she had been looking around and no one else seemed to be drinking water , also she wanted to have the full party experience .

'' Champagne I think Pamela , I shall escort Sookie for a while , would you be so kind to check on Chow at the door '' Pam took the hint and with a smirk of her own bowed a little lower than normal doffing her police hat

'' Of course Master , I shall send someone over with Sookie's drink , Sookie I will see you I a while alright ''

'' Oh , ok Pam , see you soon '' she nodded at her friend and allowed herself to be led by Eric up to his little throne area , Eric preened at the envious stares he was getting , every vampire here knew themselves now to be the poorer , the Prada and Gucci festooned lascivious supermodels strung on their laps , had just been exposed as withered crones in Sookie's overpowering light and he loved it

Eric noted now as close as he was that Sookie's tiara really was an interesting piece , he did not recall Pam owning such a decoration ,but he could ask about that later , right now just wanted to enjoy himself , tonight would mark the first of many that Sookie was his companion , he wanted to simply bask in her oh so pleasant company , that and torture himself with calculations of just how quickly he could rip Sookie out of that dress without upsetting a hair on her radiant head …one point three seconds he fancied …..less if he could get her to bend over somehow .

Pam relieved Chow from the door to allow him some time to do a few circuits around the club , she did not mind manning the door for a few minutes , it allowed her observe Sookie and Eric from a distance , after giving Sookie's drink order to a passing minion she leant against the wall and smiled at her maker and little Angel , she knew tonight Eric was going to up his game , she wasn't overly worried about her friend , Eric wasn't going to screw things up when he had made such progress with the girl , and also she had noted that Sookie had given Eric more than a little look of approval herself when they had just met , no , tonight was going to be a good night , she could feel it in her fangs .

Back up on their raised platform Sookie had taken pride of place next to Eric throne in her own chair , she was sipping the strange bubbly concoction that seemed to want to jump out her mouth again , that the nice lady brought her , she meant it when she said nice as this was one of the girls who did not bombard her with rather unpleasant thoughts when she brought drinks over to her .

It appeared some were not very happy Eric was paying her such attention , although she was not sure exactly why

Her shields so far had been holding up fairly well , the odd bits and bobs still slipped through as they always did but nothing she could not now handle , looking round the room she noticed a few people looking her way and Eric's , she supposed it was rather hard not too as they were sitting higher than everybody else but it made her a smidge uncomfortable .

Eric took note '' Is everything alright Sookie , have you heard something that has made you uneasy '' He stressed the word heard to indicate he gift without making mention of it

'' No , it's ok , it's just …well don't you feel a little exposed up here ? ''

Eric chuckled and leant forward from lounging in his seat , taking Sookie free hand once again he patted it but then did not release it '' Let them stare Sookie , you look beautiful tonight and you are unknown to then , it is natural to be curious '' and envious he added to himself

'' Oh but there is a lot of better looking women than me here tonight , and all of them know how to look at ease with all this '' Sookie motioned with her glass hand to the room at large , as Eric was still busy making slow little circles on her palm , the sensation was not unpleasant

Eric smiled and leaned forwarded even more to whisper in her ear '' I see no other women here more lovely than you tonight Sookie , and if I'm not mistaken I'm not the only once to notice ''

The telepath blushed furiously again and took another sip from her fluted glass , to distract herself from Eric's strong presence in her personal space , she had been a little unsure of the taste of this ''Champagne'' at first , it seemed to her to have a slight bitter after effect , but the more she drank the more it had grown on her , the glass seemed to be magic as every time she had finished half of it , the container somehow sent an invisible signal to one of the waitress who instantly appeared to refill it , or it could just be they were particular good at their job .

She and Eric sat in silence for a few minutes content to people watch as Sookie and Pam had often done on her nights in Fangtasia , and oh what people there were to watch tonight , Sookie marvelled at the collection of strangely garbed individuals , that talked and sat and stood in every available corner and booth in the room . Some Vampires she recognised from her time training , some she was seeing for the first time , their little voids were peppered throughout the club , each seemed to have at least one or two human '' Companions '' as she had heard them called and intermixed with them were what Pam had called the ''Fangbangers '' , Sookie had yet to ask what that exactly meant …Bangers of Fang ? , that just sounded painful to her .

The thoughts she could read were pretty charged tonight , even more so than usual , not negative , but hyped up . Sex , sex,sex,sex was bubbling away on the forefront , she couldn't help but notice it , she had gotten used to it somewhat from the early days , a lot of what she saw she didn't really understand , it seemed raw and primal , she wished she could muster the courage to actually ask Pam about some things but just couldn't work up the nerve . Her vampire friend had often teased and played with her regarding this , and she would never forget her ''Outburst '' of a few days ago , her check tinged red at the thought , but while she could figure the mechanics for lack of a better word from what she saw in the minds around her , none offered any real…..substance

When she had told Pam that she had excepted a long time ago that she was probably never going to get to have ''That '' , she had meant it . But after more and more time spent here in this place , she was coming to a different realisation , what all these people seemed to want…..she didn't

They had no connection to those they desired , no feeling other than base need , backed by avarice and the desire for gratification , or the even stranger desire to be used and abused , they cared nothing for the objects of their passion , they wanted to take not give , to fulfil their own need

In the darkest recesses of Sookie's mind , the part she kept a close guard on , a memory pushed on the door of her consciousness , something poisonous and long suppressed scratched at the barrier

Eric had been happily Sookie watching as he had dubbed it , examining the cute little perplexed looks and facial pantomimes she often had when observing others , he dearly wished he could read her mind as she could so easily do with the humans around her , so he may answer some of the questions that the behaviour and thoughts of the denizens of his little fiefdom no doubt caused her to ask herself .

But then something changed

A shift occurred in her , it was as visible to him as a sudden crack splitting the visage of a Giotto master piece , her lips pursed as if suffering under the most vile of flavours , her hand that had been so soft and supple in his own transformed to the most rigid crystal , threating to shatter with the smallest amount of force , he knew this series of microexspressions , had witnessed it a million times throughout a thousand years as he had often been the creator . Pain

'' Sookie ? '' Eric's voice was like a switch , it flicked and then all was normal again

'' Yes ? '' Sookie answered with a polite smile

Eric stared at her for a moment tacking in her now completely relaxed normal state , it was to say the least highly perplexing , if you had blinked you would have missed it , one moment Sookie was a dark swirling cloud and then it was as if the next page of the flip book have arrived to replace the old

'' You seemed….distracted there for a bit , are you all right , if there something bothering you ? ''

Sookie smiled again and shook her head '' Nope , I'm fine , I was just wondering about all these people is all , I guess I still just don't get everybody yet '' She turned back to the crowd and raised her drink to take another sip , Eric continued to study her for a moment with a confused expression , had it just been his imagination ? .

As the evening drew on more and more party goers took to the dance floor , faster songs at first , with deep base that had Sookie tapping her foot and bouncing a little in her seat , fairy wings flapping a little with the force , her magic Champagne glass had worked its sorcery and warm flushed feelings flowed within her , she enjoyed watching the vampires gracefully move with fluid motion , bending and twisting the way no human ever could hope to replicate

When a slightly slower track began , Sookie started to sway in her seat , she didn't recognise the song as her music knowledge was not great , but the lyrics sounded soulful and she enjoyed it

'' Sookie would you like to dance ? '' Eric stood to offer his arm

Sookie sputtered and fidgeted in her chair '' Oh,,no , I mean yes , but no I can't dance ''

Eric quirked an eyebrow '' But that is not true , you dance in your room when there is no one around and you do in the forest behind your home on full moon nights as well ''

Sookie stared in wonder back at him '' How..how do you know that ? ''

Eric's only reply was triumphant smile and knowing glint in his eye , Sookie realised a second later she had well and truly fallen into that trap

'' You didn't know did you ? '' She attempted to keep on a put out expression but her own grin was fighting its way to the forefront

'' Not until just now but I have been around a long time , I can spot a secret dancer Sookie , please dance with me ''

Sookie looked out at the crowded dance floor and all around to the people seated

'' There are lots of people watching …I'm not sure if I can '' She chewed her lip

Eric bent down further to remove the glass from Sookie's hand and place it on a passing waitress tray held aloft on her shoulder , he did so without looking away from Sookie , applying the most gentle of force he raised the girl from her seat and as if in control of her movements , guided her down onto the dance floor

'' Men and women's eyes were made to watch Sookie , but I have no care for them just now , you are the only one I choose to see , choose to see only me in return and dance as if it was just you and me on a full moon night ''

So…..she did , placing one hand in his and the other tucked to his thick waist she allowed herself to be held firmly but with the greatest of care by him , she shivered as she felt his hand travel the small of her back and rest there , once joined in this manner Eric began to sway and move in time to the music , Sookie went with him , remembering his words , she drowned out all sounds but the music and only allowed herself to see what was right in front of her , only allowed herself to see Eric .

She matched each step he made with her own , his hands and feet lead the way as she happily followed

Eric leaned his face into the small of her neck and murmured softly '' I have wanted to do this for a long time now , to dance with you , I have never told you how glad I am you came into mine and Pam existence , I have never truly thanked you saving my child's life , for befriending her so completely and without asking anything in return , you've brought a light into both our worlds .When I hold you it feels …..natural , like I should have always been doing it ''

There dance continued on unabated , completely lost in each other's space . Sookie rubbed her forehead lightly into the front of Eric's shirt , she took the taste of his spicy cologne deep into her lungs as well as the dry scent of vampire , her body relaxed so completely she wondered if it wasn't for Eric would she just pool into a little puddle on the floor .

Without stopping her gentle head movement she also began to speak in soft murmurs

'' You never have to thank me for that , I know it hasn't been long but you've both come to mean so much to me , all those years alone I always dreamed I would have this , to be wanted , to be excepted for who and what I am , you make me happy , Pam….and you as well , you make me happy Eric ''

Sookie raised her head to meet Eric gaze , he had that look again , reverent , caring , she loved that look , something was pulling her head up , pulling her face closer to his and Eric was matching her own movement

Eric found his eyes fixated on the face before him , he didn't care he couldn't see her eyes at that moment , he knew they were locked with his , she wanted this , he could feel it , her lips were exerting a pull on him that went beyond sexual desire , although that was no small thing , it was a need , a basic and fundamental need , like air to a human or blood to his own kind , he needed this .

A micro second from fulfilment , a fraction of an inch from what he had wanted for what seemed so long now , he was finally going to taste what those lips promised .

The music stopped .

A new track started .

and the little world she and him had crafted together shattered and fell around them

Sookie felt she was waking from a dream reluctantly , new dancers took to the floor and the faster pace of the next piece of music took over

Eric wanted to kill something , right here , right now , he felt robbed and vengeful , like the DJ had just been transformed into his mortal enemy , his grip on Sookie tightened until he was brought back to earth by her startled squeak

'' I apologise little one , I was distracted '' He voice was horse and strained

''Its ok , mmmmm.. thank you for the dance , I really enjoyed it '' Her own tone also sounded laboured and she suddenly felt very self-conscious that she and Eric were so close with so many people looking on , watching them , thinking about them as well

She racked her brain for a reason to excuse herself , to put a smidge of distance between them so she could gather her thoughts .

'' I have to go pee '' She blurted out

Eric stared at her with a blank expression , his previous ire and rage at being robbed of what was rightfully his was doused

Sookie turned bright pink as Eric threw his head back and barked a deep and genuine laugh

As if sensing her need , her Vampire god mother appeared by Sookie's side and slipped an arm round her waist '' Looks like its girl time master , would you excuse us ''

Eric stopped laughing but kept an amused smile on his face '' You ladies take all the time you want , I should I suppose fulfil some host duties ''

Before releasing Sookie's hand he brought it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm

'' Thank you for the dance Sookie , we WILL have another and very soon ''

As pam guided her through the crowds and towards the ladies room , Sookie buried her face in her hands '' I have to go PEE ? '' she wanted to crawl into a hole and die

Eric did a few laps of the room before returning to his throne to sit and look beautiful but unobtainable , his frustration was ebbing away somewhat but still coloured his mood a little , he gave a half-hearted sigh , had he ever encountered anybody in all his years capable of sending him on so many shifting roller-coaster rides through so many emotions so quickly ? . He didn't think so

He consoled himself with the fact that he knew he was not the only one who had felt what had just happened , Sookie had been caught up in it as well so she could be ensnared again , and he would do so very soon , he licked his lips , very soon .

Pam pushed open the ladies room door and dragged a still mumbling Sookie in after her , it was surprisingly empty with only two women standing in front of the mirror chatting and reapplying already heavy make up .

'' Skank one , skank two , leave , now '' Pam barked as she removed her police officers hat and released her hair from its ponytail

Ether the two women did not pick up on the palled colour of the vampire in front of them , or they had been drinking too much to have caution

Skank one cocked a condescending eye brow and placed her hand on her hip to face Pam

'' What the hell did you just say to us ? '' Skank two mirrored her friends aggressive stance

Pam turned for a second to haphazardly toss her hat into a nearby wash basin before facing them once again and releasing her fangs with a ''snikt ''

'' I said get THE FUCK OUT NOW , before I throttle you with your own cheap ass hair extensions!''

She roared causing even Sookie who placed her faith in Pam above all other to jump and take a step back , so the sight was fearful indeed to the women who did not know this vampire at all

The telepath just about had time to scramble out of the way of the door to avoid being trembled by the stampede .

Sauntering over to the exit Pam flicked the catch closed and sealed it

'' PAM , that was just rude '' Pam flicked her wrist to indicate she could not care less

'' What was that '' the vampire let the question hang in the air as she leaned back against a basin and crossed her arms under exposed brassiere

Sookie frowned '' What , was , what ? ''

Pam guffawed and raised both her eye brows '' Really Sookie , you want to try that again ''

'' I don't know what you mean Pam '' she responded a little defensively

'' What I _mean_ was you were about suck the face off my maker '' She grinned in challenge

''I WAS NOT ! '' the telepath shrieked louder than she had intended

'' Oh GOD Sookie yes , you were , you were going to totally kiss him , right in the middle of the dance floor ''

'' I…..oh , no Pam , what was I doing , what must Eric think ? . What must everyone else out there be thinking ?'' Sookie hugged herself and started breathing heavily

Pam changed from amused to concerned and walked over to join her friend '' Wow , Sookie , its ok , just breath , you haven't done anything wrong '' She rubbed her arm reassuringly to try and calm the girl down

'' I don't know what I'm doing Pam , I don't know what I'm supposed to do , this is all….too much ''

Pam placed both hands on Sookie's shoulder and forced her to face front '' Sookie whatever you are feeling is natural by definition , there is no wrong or right here , I know this must all seem new and strange to you but that is the main thing , whatever feels right , is right do you understand ? ''

Sookie stopped hugging herself and deflated , rubbing her temples she winced

'' I don't think that Champagne stuff is very good for my shields , it's getting hard to keep the thoughts out , do you think it would be alright to sit in Eric's office for a minute to take a break ?''

Sookie's pleading look and tired manner convinced Pam that it may be a good idea , slipping her arm around Sookie's shoulder she guided her out of the rest room and across the corridor to Eric's office

Once comfortably situated on Eric's worn leather couch Sookie took some deep breaths and gratefully excepted the bottled water Pam offered .

'' I just need a minute , that's all , then il be ok , I promise ''

Pam knelt in front of the girl and placed a quick kiss on her forehead

'' Don't worry about it little one , it will be ok , I'm sorry I teased you , …..I want you to be happy , you deserve to be happy ''

Sookie gave a small smile and stifled a yawn

'' Do you think it would alright if I lay down for a moment , do you think Eric would mind ? ''

Pam shook her head and gently pushed Sookie back to lay down , bringing her legs up she tucked them close to herself and rested her head on the arm of the couch

Pam had retrieved a blanket from somewhere and lay it over the girls legs and lower body , that done , she reached behind her friend and quickly unclipped her silver wings to hang on the back of the door .

She gave Sookie's face a quick stroke before turning and exiting the office , she ensured she locked the door before she left , Sookie could open it from the other side if she needed to get out before Pam or Eric returned to check on her .

Once the noise of the music and the on-going party outside were muffled and reduced Sookie closed her eyes and her breathing slowly became shallower until soon she was sound asleep .

When back in the club Pam made directly for Eric on his throne , giving a quick bow for appearances she sat down in Sookie's vacated chair and lent over to advise her master

'' Sookie is taking a moment in your office , she is feeling a little tired '' Pam tapped the side of her head the emphasize her point .

Eric frowned '' Is she alright , she seemed fine before she left '' He had been looking forward to her return , he was hoping to engage her little more about their dance , maybe even get a repeat

'' She is fine I think , just tired , I will check later , she should be secure for now , just give her a little time ''

Eric nodded his understanding and relaxed back further into his chair , he could wait , she was worth waiting for

Sookie drifted on the edge of consciousness as she felt something rubbing her cheek , she instinctively lent into the touch and murmured contented little noises , the hand increased its ministrations , stroking , rubbing …pinching

The sharp pain brought her swiftly to the surface of the waking world , why had Pam pinched her ? .

Blinking she pushed a finger behind her spectacles to rub the sleep from her eyes

Pam hadn't woken her , Eric hadn't woken her

Glinting gold fangs drew her attention to the owners crooked grin , it looked wrong to her , felt wrong , deep within her something started to sound in warning , an icy feeling that took root in her belly and began to spread

The voice , was wrong as well , slithery , cold , cruel

'' _Hello , Little Piggy_ ''


End file.
